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| Shards of a Broken Heart | |||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | |||||||||||||||||||
| Chapter Ten: revelations | |||||||||||||||||||
| In her room within the castle - Bethany sighed as she looked out the window. Memories of the night before danced through her mind - and how it was so completely different from her encounter with Nathan. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Why am I feeling this way?" she muttered - her mind flashed back to Gwen and how she was all over him. She felt her heart sink. "He hurt me - he was with her," she began. "How could I have been so blind?" she added. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Maybe - because you can't tell your heart - who you love?" a voice said from the door. She looked over and saw Damien holding a long stem rose. "I presume - that you are talking about this Nathan fellow?" he asked curiously. She lowered her eyes. He sighed. "If I seem intrusive - I apologize. I just want to be a part of your life - your world. And if something troubles you - it troubles me," he reassured. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "I did love him - a - part of me still does," she quietly admitted. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "He isn't worthy of such feelings and praise. He and people like him - they use people as it suits their needs and whims. They do not care about the happiness of others - they care only for themselves," he stated calmly. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "I know you are right - still," she began but stopped. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "You - regret last night?" he asked hesitantly. She smiled as she looked over at him. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "No," she replied softly. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Sorry if I got a little carried away," he added - walking over to where she was standing - gently caressing her shoulders. "It's just - being with you was like - stepping into the realm of dream and fantasy - that I just lost all control," he whispered. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "I'm not used to all this praise," she replied. He kissed her neck and then held her close. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "That - is a crime in itself. You will get over that affliction with me around," he said - kissing her on the cheek. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "You are too kind," she replied modestly. He smiled as he put the rose in her hands. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "I am afraid that I have matters to attend to. There are still pockets of invaders that need to be weeded out," he whispered. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "I'll - be waiting," she replied quietly. He winked at her as he left the room. She looked at the flower and lightly sniffed it. There were times that he was so tender and charming - and others when he was more forceful and controlling. | |||||||||||||||||||
| She looked down at the tiny bruise that was on her wrist. She didn't notice it before - it must have happened during an intense moment during their lovemaking. She closed her eyes as sat down on the floor. | |||||||||||||||||||
| She had meant what she told him - about not regretting it. The way that he touched her and kissed her - it felt so right. It was everything that her first experience was and a little more - then - it started to change. | |||||||||||||||||||
| It got a little rougher - more intense. | |||||||||||||||||||
| It scared her at first - but the sensations - they all but erased any anxiety that she felt. At least - they did at the time. | |||||||||||||||||||
| For after it was all over - as she rested in his arms - her mind wandered back to that village - back to the man that saved her. She knew that he deserved whatever happened to him - he hurt her - but even still - a pang of guilt began to take root in her heart. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Why am I letting him get to me?" she asked herself - trying to shake Nathan from her head. She groaned in sheer frustration as she got up. She walked over to the door and opened it -two soldiers were standing guard. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Lady Bethany - why are you leaving?" one asked. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "I wanted to walk around and collect my thoughts," she replied - an anxious look crossed the soldiers faces. "That is alright isn't it? I mean I'm not a prisoner here right?" she asked seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Uhm of course not," one began. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "But did - you mention this to Damien? If he got back and you were not here - he would - worry - to say the least," the other asked hesitantly. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "I have a tendency to do things on whims. If I am expected to be here a prolonged period of time - that will have to be expected - now excuse me - please," she stated as she began to walk away - as she did - the two soldiers began to follow - she stopped - as did they. "I do not need a guide - nor a chaperone thank you," she stated - hesitantly the two soldiers watched as she rounded a corner and vanished from sight. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "He's not going to like this," one muttered. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Our orders are strict - nothing we can do," the other reminded. A fair distance away - around the corner - Bethany discreetly peeked around and saw the two soldiers nervously talking. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Why are they so scared? It hardly - sounds like they are talking about Damien," she remarked. A shiver ran down her spine. It only happened when she knew something was amiss - something big. "Something isn't right here," she muttered as she calmly walked through the castle. | |||||||||||||||||||
| As she wandered - the occasional soldier would see her and start to whisper - they would of course silence if she looked at them. She shook her head and made her way towards the library. She opened the doors and saw a few of Damien's men talking- they stopped when they saw her. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Are you lost?" one man asked. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "No - I came here to do some reading - is there a problem with that?" she asked curiously. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "None at all. Our meeting was finished anyway," another replied as they all began to filter passed her. She could hear them murmur as amongst themselves at they believed they were out of earshot. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Something is definitely not right," she muttered. She sighed as she walked over to a window that was covered by stacks of books. It was as if a voice inside her whispered - look outside to her. Book by book - she exposed the window. Her eyes widened in disbelief at what she saw. "Those - those are the same type of people that attacked Nathan and me - what are they doing here?" she muttered. | |||||||||||||||||||
| She watched them for many more moments - her confusion doubled when she saw the men that were talking in the very room she was in - now approaching the ruffians. She backed away shaking her head. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "What is going on here?" she muttered as she looked over at a table that had many scrolls scattered about. As if drawn to them - she walked over and sat down. "Why - am I here?' she muttered. It was then that one scroll fell from the pile and landed on her lap. She looked at the broken seal and nervously opened it. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "To - my lord Damien - I have great news - I have reason to believe that Bethany is still alive - that the wolves," she began but stopped. Her hands began to mildly shake. "That the wolves were stopped. I know that hope was seemingly lost as she and her friends fell into the ice - but upon closer examination - I found tracks. I believe she or one of the maidens was rescued. I will report more when I learn more," she muttered. The scroll slipped from her fingers. | |||||||||||||||||||
| She looked over at the pile that it had fallen from and hesitantly picked up another one. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "To my lord Damien - she lives. Some local hunter it seems was in the area and fished her out. There was a cottage like place in the near vicinity and some garments baring the royal crest of her house was by the fire. Two of the scouting party was slain - there may be more to this hunter than first believed. I will be in touch," she read. She dropped the scroll and picked up another one. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "To - my lord Damien - in the village a few hours travel away - I found her. I saw a woman that could only be the lady you sent me to find. She has grown rather attached to this hunter fellow - no doubt because he saved her life and all. He may be a problem - but nothing that can't be worked around," she read. She picked up another scroll. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "To my lord - Damien - I have some bad news. It seems the infatuation has grown into something more - complicated. Her infatuation for this hunter - this Nathan fellow is running deep. This has no doubt stemmed from the fact that they have slept together," she began but stopped she looked around in disbelief. Hesitantly she looked back down at the scroll. "But do not lose heart - by the way she reacted - she seems a tad insecure about herself. If anything I believe this was her first encounter of that kind. I gathered this much from when a past relation of Nathan approached. I believe - I - oh god," she muttered. "I believe I have a plan to get them apart. Gwen agreed to help - not knowing my true intent. She will cause a scene that will get Bethany angry and confused," she read. "once apart - I will get Bethany out of the picture," she continued. The scroll fell from her shaking fingers. She slowly got up and staggered over to where more scrolls were. The broken seals on them were different. She hesitantly opened one up - almost fearing what she might see. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "All goes as planned my lord - the hapless fools in the area known as the northern province had no idea of what our intent was until it was too late - your plan was nothing short of genius - almost everyone was slaughtered before they knew what was happening," she read. She dropped the scroll and picked up another one. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Your spies have informed us that the Lady Bethany is still in the area and is still available - if all goes as planned - she should - be yours - in a week," she read - dropping the scroll. "Lies - everything - lies," she muttered. She shook her head as she backed away from the table. "Oh my god - what have I done?" she stammered. She hurried away - hoping that she could escape the castle and surrounding area before Damien returned. | |||||||||||||||||||
| To be continued... | |||||||||||||||||||