Back to the start...
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| Fear in Safety | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As soon as they had disappeared from the hallway, they reappeared in the middle of a snow-covered hillside. Alexander looked around confused. "I thought we were going to the castle of Varadorn?" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "We will, but no one can teleport into the castle. It's impossible. This is as close as I can take us, but from here we walk." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Walk? How can we walk to a place we've never even seen?" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Can't you feel it? It's directly north from here. If you squint, you can just make out its silhouette." Alexander squinted. He saw it. "I just hope I can make it. I don't feel strong enough." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "We'll make it. I don't care if I have to carry you there, we'll make it." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "First, we walk. And once we get there, no one must know that I am a priestess. They would begin to wonder why you touch me if we are not married." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I understand." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| They walked on, trudging silently through the heaps of snow, Alexander having to help Chilandrea up now and then when she tripped or lost her balance. It was practically a blizzard surrounding them, wind whipping their hair about, snow stinging their eyes, the cold burning their skin. Alexander was glad he'd given Chilandrea his cloak for she'd be completely unprotected without it. However, he was without it making him severely more susceptible to the cold than he would have been otherwise. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| They had made it about half way to the castle -- it was much more visible now, the detail was clear -- and Chilandrea fell to the ground again. But this time, she couldn't get back up. "Chilandrea! Are you alright?" asked Alexander over the screaming winds. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I... can't go... any farther. Too...... cold..." she heaved. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He lifted her up, wrapping the cloak tighter around her shivering body, and trudged further. She leaned in as close as possible to him, trying to absorb as much warmth as she could. Alexander was worried about how violently she was shivering for the short amount of time they had been walking. He was able to reach the gates without much difficulty, but getting inside was a bit bewildering. The gates were made of solid wood and were shut tight against the storm. He wasn't sure how he was going to make their presence known with so much noise already surrounding the castle. He stood next to the huge doors, held Chilandrea tightly, and tapped his foot on the bottom of the door, hoping that someone inside would hear him. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A small hole about one foot above his head opened and a man's head poked out. "Oh my!" he cried and slammed the hole shut before Alexander could say anything. At first he thought that the little man was not going to let him in at all, but soon enough he heard some clanking from the other side that meant the door was about to open. The man appeared in a small crack in the door -- standing about two feet shorter than Alexander -- and wordlessly ushered them into the warmth of the castle. "What are you doing out in such a storm?" the man asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "We got lost. Please, the lady needs help. We need a doctor, a warm room, and some dry clothes." The man nodded and led them up a large staircase to a small room. There wasn't much furniture: a four-poster bed, a tiny table and chair, and an empty, cold hearth. Alexander lay Chilandrea down on the bed, pulling the cloak around her and the blankets up to her chin. "We'll be safe here, Chilandrea. Are you warm enough?" She shivered in response, her teeth chattering loudly. Alexander turned to the man and said, "Please, we need some firewood." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Of course, right away." The little man ran out the door. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alexander threw his shoes and weapons to the floor and climbed under the blankets with her, holding her close to try to warm her faster with his own body heat. "We'll be fine here. You can relax." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chilandrea didn't say much, but leaned into his body. She was soon asleep, and the little man came with some wood. He started the fire without asking a single question, and once it was lit, he turned to Alexander. "Do you wish me to fetch the doctor now, sir?" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alexander was about to agree, but he realized that no other person should touch her. "No, just some water and bandages. A little food in the morning will be all we really need for now. Thank you." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The man bowed and rushed out the door. Alexander stared at the fire thinking of how much he wanted to punish Merrick for hurting Chilandrea. A rage inside him burned like the fire he watched. He would make Merrick pay for what he'd done someday. He just didn't know how he would pull it off without getting himself killed in the process. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He got out of the bed, wrapped the blankets around Chilandrea and carried her to the fire. He set her down, pulled the blankets around himself, and rocked her back and forth in his arms. He liked the way this all felt: sitting in front of a fire, Chilandrea in his arms, and nothing to worry about. It was as relaxed as he ever wanted to be. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Chilandrea opened her eyes to see a hearth filled with burnt out embers and ashes, some still smoking. She was lying on a small but comfortable fur rug under Alexander's cloak and a few heavy blankets. Rolling over, she found Alexander asleep next to her still fully clothed. "Martye nauva alye'," she whispered to herself. It was something she'd been wanting to say for a while, but she wasn't really sure why. He opened his eyes and looked at her. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I was wondering when you were going to wake up," he said, leaning up on his elbow. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I didn't know your were awake." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How can I sleep when I'm so scared?" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Scared? But why would you be scared? I told you we would be safe here, and you said it yourself last night." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I wasn't afraid about being safe here. I was afraid that you'd become too cold out there. I don't want you catching your death before we can even have some sort of life together." He smiled sweetly. "Are you warm enough now?" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Yes, much warmer." She pulled herself closer to him, nestling her head in his arms. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He swept a strand of her hair away from her face. "Your wounds are healing quickly. Soon, you should be good as new, and it will seem like Merrick had never touched you." Chilandrea could see the anger rise red in his face. "Merrick should be tortured for what he's done to you. You're supposed to be his wife, not his enemy." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Shh, Alexander. He cannot hurt us here. We can forget about it." She placed her hand on his face and he paled a little. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How can we forget about that? What he did was unforgivable. If I ever come face to face with him again, I'll..." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No, you won't. He'll get what he deserves, but we're not the ones to judge when, where, or how. We probably won't see him again, anyway, so we should just get on with our own lives." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alexander sighed. "You're right. You're almost always right." He gently kissed her and lie back down beside her. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| She ran her fingers through his hair and drew his face close to hers. "I may have been hurt by your brother, but a gentle touch from you washes away all traces of his doings. Dear, sweet Alexander, I beg you to touch me so now." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Forever," he whispered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Barely a week had passed and Chilandrea spent nearly every moment in Alexander's warm and loving embrace. The snow outside had not let up for the entire time they had been present and it gave Chilandrea a strange sense of comfort. It was as if the thickness of the snowstorm shielded the castle from all onlookers. She felt as if no one -- not even any of the most gifted priestesses -- could find this place. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| One night, as Alexander ran his fingers over her smooth naked body, he spoke about a foreboding feeling he had that was growing stronger by the day. "It is as if there is a clenched fist in my stomach that grows larger each day, a shadow over my heart that darkens. In my head, I feel that we are to remain here forever, but my heart wills against it." His hand stopped and caressed her neck. "Have you seen anything these past days to confirm or deny it?" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Nay, I cannot say that I have. I've had no visions since my marriage." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No feelings either? No pains?" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "None. What is it you feel?" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Strangely that we will be found and that neither of us will prosper from what occurs." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "It is possible that you still don't feel safe and that these feelings aren't real. You could be manifesting them." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I hope you're right." He stared at the nearby fire that was slowly fading. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Alexander, there's something I have to tell you." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What?" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chilandrea hesitated unknowingly. She had recently discovered that she was with child and wanted to tell him. He would be so happy. But his dread stopped her. What if he was right and they were discovered at Varadorn? If the order barged in while Alexander knew of his child, he would fight to the death to protect her before letting them take her. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| She was torn. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What?" he asked again, concerned. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "......Oh, never mind. It wasn't that important." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Are you sure? It sounded urgent." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| She smiled and nodded. "Don't worry." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| On to the next chapter! Back to the start... |
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