Heart & Jewel

Chapter VI

Lenia woke up late that morning. Not that it mattered what time she'd wake up, since she was secluded in Arawn's chambers, sometimes even only in his room.

The past four years was always the same routine for her. Arawn woke up early every morning, he'd usually take her not caring if he would wake her up. He'd take a bath, get dressed, then leave his chambers locking her in. Then he'd return a little after sundown, bring her some food and then he'd take her again until he decided it was time for them to sleep.

Her life was a living nightmare, at least she still had a flicker of hope that enabled her to cope somehow, but now, it seemed like there's no hope left for her. Now, it looked like that everything that mattered to her would be lost soon enough and when that would come to pass, well, there won't be anything left keeping her in this world.

She rose her body and sat on the bed. She brought her left arm on her knee and started pushing back her hair, while being lost in her thoughts and pain. She had no idea for how long she's been doing that, when she got a glimpse of her body. She got caught by surprise, when she realized that she was wearing a dark purple night gown. Arawn, most of the time, was keeping her naked, but it seemed like that last night, he hadn't.
He got me undressed and put a nightgown on me, she thought. That is completely unusual of him.

She sighed and rose from the bed. She headed to the bathroom and took off her gown. The sun was shining through the stained glass, creating a soothing light inside. Lenia got into the tub and tried to relax under that calming sunlight. Sometimes she was just looking at the stained glass window, losing herself in her thoughts.

The window was portraying a random scene of half a dozen dragons of different origin and magic flying over the skies. How she had missed it, watching the dragons flying over Zeme Volante, or herself, flying over the country on Orianna's back, if she closed her eyes, she could feel the wind whipping against her face, and if she focused long enough she'd hear Orianna's slow breathing, the laughs both of them let out, drowning themselves in their freedom.

But that wasn't her reality anymore. She wasn't flying over Zeme Volante. She didn't feel the wind whipping against her face and most importantly, Orianna was not here anymore, neither was her freedom.

Lenia let out a painful sigh, as tears began streaming down her face at the realization that she was nothing but a lonely slave. Her family wasn't around anymore, either. None of them. Arawn didn't stop at taking Orianna and her freedom away from her. He also took her family away, and her family didn't have jewels as their hearts, they couldn't be brought back once they were dead and gone. She was alone. All alone suffering through the rest of her days and with each passing day, it felt like her body would soon begin to give away, terminating her life a lot earlier than she was supposed to live.

She cried and cried in the tub, until there were no more tears for her to shed, until her body has gone numb from being in the water for so long.

Without wiping the tears from her face, she rose and got out of the bathtub mechanically, headed out and into Arawn's bedroom, and went to the closet to find something to wear around her numb and aching body. Surprisingly, it was left unlocked so she managed to grab one of the night robes in there and pulled it around her. Tied it around her waist and went to get a glimpse of herself in the mirror.

What was looking back at her was far from what she used to look like. Her hair albeit a lot longer didn't have their old gloss. Her hazel eyes had lost their flare and her body. Her body was in a condition she's never seen being in the past, not even during the days she had been living with her mother. It was weak, really weak.

But what's gotten into her more, was the scars she gained during her first months of her captivity with Arawn, scars that weren't visible in her body anymore, thanks to the keeper of her fate but she knew were still there and the black collar with the light green glyphs that has been around her neck during all this time. Never coming out and allowing Arawn to control every single one of her actions with a mere command, and she'd oblige, because otherwise, pain would envelope her body. Worse than the one she's used to feeling.

She closed her eyes, and turned her back on the mirror and she headed to the window that was looking to the northern gate.
She pulled the curtains away and stared at the street beneath her.

The street was busy, many draigdyns and humans alike were out strolling up and down with smiles on their faces. Draigdyns were casually smiling as if their princess hasn't been murdered just a few days ago. And the guards, the guards did the same and even started cheering at the direction of the northern door and then she realized why.

From the opened gate, a man atop a horse wearing full plate save for his helmet, entered the street and slowed down his speed.
A young man, barely having reached adulthood, with ash brown hair falling to his shoulders and if she could see his face better, she'd knew she'd see a pair of almond shaped grey eyes.

She knew very well who this young man was... but it's been many years since she's last seen that face. He had grown up so much and she had missed it, because the young man had been sent in the northern borders, after being annointed a General of Garain vi Shamont, where he remained and only came back around his birthday for a month at most, every year.

But judging by his posture, he didn't know. He hasn't heard anything about it but he was about to find out, and it'd be really ugly when he would.

She rose from her place on the window, pulled the curtains together and headed to Arawn's bed. She fell on it full force, pulled up the silk blanket and brought it up to her torso.

While lying on her bed, she felt a bitter sadness starting to spread all over her body, but it wasn't the usual type of it. This time around, she could feel something else, faintly tugging on her. Hope. For the first time, after four years, she felt a tug of hope and as she was drifting to sleep, she wondered for how long that tug would remain, before it'd crumble and fall, yet again.

                                                                                       ~

Once the young man entered through the northern gate of Zeme Volante, he saw many of his compatriots looking his way with smiles on their faces. Guards were doing the same and were even cheering, and the crowd was soon following at their example. Some people were throwing flowers, too, while others, well others, didn't look thrilled about his return, mostly humans, though.

Despite the smiles on people's faces, he felt that something was amiss and the air around the city felt heavy and different than usual.
I suppose the draigdyns weren't thrilled about the wedding, understandably so, but it was the only way, thought the man and continued, I'm not that thrilled myself, either.

As he was looking around at the people, keeping his horse in a steady easy galloping, he suddenly felt the urge to look up at the last window that didn't have a view of the gate but had of the street, and he thought he saw curtains being pulled together.
That was strange, was Arawn still in his room or was it a servant, perhaps? Who knows, really, but it's not like Arawn to oversleep. Anyway, time for me to hurry. I'm already late at meeting the King. Should I keep him waiting a little longer and head to her room, or should I go where duty calls? Eh... I guess I'll decide when I'll reach the castle's gates, thought the young man with a playful smile on his face.

                                                                                             ~

"I suppose he's finally here", said the dark haired man agitated.
"Arawn, relax, we were expecting him, weren't we?" asked the brown haired man.
"I know Garain, but I hate what happens each time he comes here from the North. They're cheering for him as if he's a long lost prince, that came to save his people, with his shining armor atop a white horse", said Arawn and turned to his King with a teasing smile on his face.
Garain's laughter echoed in the Council room.
"Ah, Arawn, you never fail to make me laugh with your not-so-subtle remarks about the draigdyn family. You really don't like them, do you?"
"It's not about me liking them but it's about the people of the Kingdom making a great deal out of the return of a General, and if you were wiser, you would have seen that this is not a good thing."
"Arawn, I know that very well, and that's exactly why I have made the necessary preparations. The boy won't leave again for the North. He'll remain here, until I'll see no more use of him and then I'll let Argenta dispose of him real quick."
"And that'd be quite the tragic irony, dying by her hands, wouldn't you agree?"
"I certainly would, Arawn. I certainly would and I really hope that plan of yours was worth the necessary sacrifices."
"That remains to be seen, Garain. That remains to be seen..."