Memories of an Ex-Villain

Chapter 3 Memories

In the middle of a lesson, suddenly it came back to him. That whole week leading up to his falling and hitting his head.

"Gavin? You're spacing out there. Is this right?" Angelina was asking, holding up her work as it all flashed through his mind.

The two were drawing runes on slates sitting at a long table.

"DAMMIT!" Gavin shouted abruptly, standing and smashing the slate on the desk, cracking it.

"Whoa what's that all a-?" Angelina stood as well.

"YOU!" Gavin turned a baleful eye on her, "You cheated me of the grand battle I wanted! Expected! Deserved!" he shouted with visceral anger, "You used underhanded tactics and ruined my life! You cheated! You cheated! You actually tricked me in the stupidest way possible!" he pointed at Angelina accusingly.

Turning, he tried to stomp away but crashed into his chair and overbalanced. He and it nearly went to the ground as he banged his shins and other parts of his body on the wooden piece.

"RRRR FACK!" he yelled as he disentangled and kicked the chair as hard as he could, knocking it over and hurting his foot at the same time, "Naaaaah!" he couldn't get enough yelling out.

"Gavin!" Angelina grabbed him roughly by the arm as he again tried to leave, "What has gotten into you? What is all this?" she demanded.

"Unhand me! Unhand me, you wench! You witch! I hate you! I hate you!" He yelled petulantly.

"Calm down, man!" Angelina fought to keep Gavin still as he flailed and struck out at her, screaming his fury to the ceiling.

The guards standing outside the room rushed in.

"Hold him!" the princess commanded, shoving the yowling sorcerer toward the two. Each took ahold of an arm and shoulder, forcing Gavin to his knees as he struggled fruitlessly.

When he saw he couldn't break free and his twisted arms twanged with pain, Gavin dropped his head. Slumping forward, he panted hard from the effort. Gasping for air, his anger dropped to misery. Through the hair falling over his face, he could see Angelina's military boots approach.

"Gavin what has gotten into you?" she asked, tone stern as she stood over him.

"Lord Vanderville to you!" he spat, "I remember! I remember that whole miserable week after I received the ring! You cheated me of the legendary battle we were supposed to have! The knife's edge of who would fall and who would triumph! You slaughtered my people and I could do nothing to defend them! We would have won that battle if not for your stupid feckin' ring! The least you could have done was defeat me and put it on after!"

His outburst just about over, he panted from the effort, on the verge of sobbing, which infuriated him more. She would not have the satisfaction of seeing him break down and cry! But he was so angry! Frustrated! Humiliated!

"You humiliated me..." he finished weakly, "Have you no honor...?"

Nothing was said for a while, the silence broken only by Gavin's ragged breathing. He swallowed a couple of times to keep back the floodgates waiting to burst, eyes stinging as he closed them tightly.

"Quite the inconvenient moment to remember," Angelina commented at last. "I did what was necessary, Gavin. The ring was underhanded, yes. But it's not as if you treated your enemies fairly either, so I didn't see you as being worthy of the consideration. Especially since I wanted to ensure you lived and didn't do something foolish to evade the disgrace you would, and apparently do, feel for being spared and kept a prisoner."

His words spent, Gavin had no response.

"I didn't stab you in the back so be happy about that. And you turned to face me without putting your pet or anyone else between us," Angelina pointed out, "That speaks volumes to me about your sense of honor, and I respect that, hence why I've treated you better than I would have normally, amnesia or not."

She stepped closer and bent down, taking Gavin's chin in her hand and forcing his head up. He kept his eyes closed, teeth clenched.

"Your returned memories change nothing, so long as you continue to cooperate," she said with a hint of threat, but she was interrupted before she could go further.

"Master! I heard you cry out-What!?" Atticus Vinch the III had flown from outside to the window, scrabbling on the sill, "What are you doing to him?!" he gasped.

Gavin's eyes shot open as he managed to turn his head enough to get the kitten in his sight.

"Atticus! Run! Flee this place!" He shouted, "Escape!"

"Master?!" Atticus Vinch the III called out, starting to climb into the room to aid Gavin.

"Catch him!" Angelina commanded. One of the guards immediately let Gavin go and scrambled around the table towards the kitten.

"Master!"

"Go! I command you!" Gavin screamed in desperation, struggling to free himself, "Please!"

Frightened but understanding something horrible was going down, Atticus Vinch the III spun and leaped out to the ground, for he was still unable to take flight without a drop, but the window was too low.

"Catch that runt!" Angelina yelled, "Catch him!"

The guard yelled the same out the window before sprinting out of the room. Others echoed the call. The chase was on.

The air was tense as they listened to armor clanking and the kitten's yowling grow fainter as he moved to some other part of the castle.

Angelina turned to Gavin and nearly backhanded him. But as he flinched away she held back, instead reaching forward and forcing him to look up again.

"I'm warning you. Things are going to continue as they were or there will be suffering."

Gavin growled, "Do to me what you want, witch! Just leave the kitten alone! He's a child even if he doesn't look like a human. He's just as deserving of protection as any human child!"

"We caught him, your Highness." someone shouted.

Angelina turned to Gavin with a cold triumphant expression.

"Then protect him," she said icily.