[pre]I wrote the first part on my other computer, the old slow one that I messed up by putting 75 stories on there. Haha, anyway... This isn't the first part, but I made sure to put as many references back to the beginning as best I could. Not much happened in the first part, though. The two first met, Rin struggles with her hidden affection, and her brother makes it difficult for the two to get closer.
This is a sort of preface to my main story. Rin and Alexius are my main character, Dartz's, mother and father. They died when Dartz was young, so I never had a chance to write about them. But now I have!
It was senseless to think that I, a mere slave that Alexius wouldn’t have thought twice about a few months ago, could truly be in love with him; which would make it completely asinine to even consider that he loved me.
Even still, I would follow him like some kind of dog after its master—which, the more I thought about it, wasn’t such a terrible comparison after all. He regarded me kindly still, though I knew I must have been driving him insane. I wanted to be his companion above all, which led me to do bizarre things.
Alexius was sitting in one of Hayani’s lavish private parlors, reading a manuscript that appeared hundreds of years old. The breeze coming in from off the sea was lovely; it was one of the reasons why I loved agreeing to come to Barcelona so much.
I didn’t want him to notice me until I knocked, but somehow, he heard me treading—barefoot, mind you—on the marble floors.
“Rin?” Alexius called, turning around.
He smiled graciously, inviting me to sit next to him.
Unusual for me, I was speechless; wordless. No words came to my mouth whatsoever to answer him or even show my appreciation.
To my horror, he stood and closed the door. Once he closed it, he turned to me and smiled, turning the silver key. I was locked in the room with him.
“Privacy, merely, Rin. Don’t look so distressed! I just want to talk to you,” Alexius laughed.
I relaxed as soon as he’d spoken those words. Alexius was always true to his word. If he wanted merely to talk to me, that was what was done. If he wanted something more, which he hadn’t so far, he would clearly state it. He was nothing like his father. He wasn’t pushy or elusive or anything like that…and I loved him for it.
“You want to talk to me, sire? Am I in ill favors with you?”
”Of course not,” Alexius chuckled, nudging me, “Why would you be?”
I follow you around constantly…surely, that bothers you?
I thought the words, but I didn’t speak them.
“Well…your father makes a habit of getting angry with me for the most peculiar reasons, sir. I wouldn’t dare think the same of you, but I—"
“Expect it?” he sighed.
His eyes flitted over to the open window, his smile bitter.
“Not of you…”
I knew that something in my mind told me to comfort him, but I was truly alarmed when his head snapped back to look at me. I nearly fainted when I saw his blue eyes wide with…was that fear or surprise I saw deep in that abyss I’d grew so fond of?
Ashamed, I shot my head down…and realized that I had instinctively squeezed his hand.
“You’re so cute, Rin,” Alexius laughed, brushing his thumb against my hand.
“Why, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say that you were an angel,”
I snorted. Me? An angel? Hardly!
“I’ve sinned too much; I can’t possibly be an angel, never mind in God’s favor!”
“Nonsense…”
Alexius’s nose brushed against mine, his words spoken so close to my face I shivered.
“Look at me; I’m an Arcelus! A disgrace to everyone…yet so rich. We’ve nearly damned the Jews, creating so many stereotypes against them and ourselves that we deserve damnation ourselves, but…God continues to bless us,”
“I doubt He feels the same for me,”
“Stop saying that…”
“He doesn’t, though, sire—“
Smooch! Alexius kissed me.
Not a rough, demanding kiss like from Julius or a pushy kiss from Fredrick…or that ‘shut up’ kiss from Marceaux. It was completely different. Soft, passionate…before I’d even realized it, I’d locked my arms around his neck, pushing the two of us together.
“My God!” I breathed, gasping as I pushed away from him.
What did I think I was doing?! This wasn’t his estate; Hayani could barge in at any moment. Granted, he wouldn’t dare lay a finger upon Alexius in reprimand—Alexius was now twenty-one and could command any of them—but what would he do with me?
“I-I-I’ve never…”
“I’m sorry, Rin. That was out of place…” Alexius whispered, touching his fingers to his lips.
“Out of place? Are you mad? That was insanely amazing!” I giggled.
Once I realized what I’d said, I flustered bright red. I was a slave; how dare I even consider talking to him like Emi would, or his dear sister Timian? I couldn’t joke with him like we were of the same status; that was uncalled for.
“I apologize…”
”Don’t,” Alexius laughed, “I wish people talked to me like that more often. I hate it when people meticulously plan out what they’ll say to me, adding ‘sire’, ‘sir’, ‘milord’, ‘your highness’, and so many other unnecessary honoraries in place of my name. I wish they wouldn’t feel so obliged to treat me like a king,”
“Really?” I inquired.
I couldn’t imagine not loving attention, slaves falling down on their faces to worship me. But then again, that was probably because I myself was a slave and not use to such lavish treatment. Julius no doubt loved it, I knew, but Alexius was nothing like him.
“Do you love me?” I suddenly stammered.
The question had been lingering on my tongue for some time now, but I’d never thought of actually uttering it. I was surprised that it came so fluidly!
“Hmm?”
Alexius had started to read again, not even realizing that I’d asked something of him.
“What did you say? I’m sorry, I wasn’t listening…”
“Nothing, really…”
”If it were nothing, Rin, you wouldn’t have asked it,” Alexius purred, raising an eyebrow.
It’s not fair! It’s not fair how gorgeous he is! It’s just not fair! It’s not fair!
“Do you…love me, sire?”
”Alexius. My name is ‘Alexius’, not ‘sire’,”
“…Alexius?” I meekly whimpered.
“Well, what are you expecting me to be my answer? How do you wish for me to reply?”
“I…well…to be completely honest, I’ve never loved you…platonically…I’ve never considered you like a friend or a brother. Of course, I’ve lied to countless people and told them that we were merely friends…but from the moment I first talked to you, I was madly in love. All I could think about was you, but…I’ve been too cowardly to inquire if you felt the same way. So…it just…stuttered out today after so long…”
“Ah, I see,” he simply replied, nodding his head.
“And I mean, of course, being in the public eye and everything, with so many slaves, you must know that a few would adore you…but…” I murmured, bowing my head so that my long, dark hair could cover my blushing face.
“Are you finished?” Alexius laughed, smiling.
I nodded. What else could I possibly say? Go on about how much I loved him and wanted to marry him? How I told my brother and he’d fallen to his knees in pain? How I’d found him retching when he’d seen Alexius and I in his bedroom, mistaking me showing him my scarred back as something more? How his father had threatened to murder both of us if he saw us doing anything—hugging, kissing—or found out that we had done more? What else could I possibly say to this man? For, which made me seem even more ridiculous, he was twenty-one and I was merely fourteen, pledging my love to him?
“I do love you, Rin. Not as a sister or a friend but as a…”
Alexius reached into his breast pocket, surprising me. I thought that he was taking out his pocket watch; I could see the silver chain dangling down and I thought that he might be checking the time, but instead, he pulled out a gold chain.
I was puzzled at first. A gold chain…? I cocked my head to the side, examining it more closely. There was a ruby pendant dangling down from the chain and it looked familiar…
Alexius slid down to the floor, kneeling in front of me. I thought he might be in pain until I noticed the loving smile upon his lips.
“This isn’t a ring and it’s hardly formal, but Rin…will you marry me?”
I was in total shock. What would I say? If I said ‘yes’, I’d be giving him my true answer and damning the both of us to Julius’s hellish wrath. But if I said ‘no’, I’d start sobbing and tell him why I couldn’t marry him. My brother, Julius, the entire Arcelus family…they wouldn’t approve of our marriage.
I nodded, tears streaming down my face.
“Yes, Alexius, I will,” I whispered, my voice breaking.
“Yes!”
He pulled me into his arms, letting me weep in his chest. He rubbed my back, trying to soothe me, I knew.
“How will we tell your father?”
”Easily; we won’t. He doesn’t have to know,”
”He’ll chastise you mercilessly…” I murmured, shivering at the thought.
“He won’t let either of us go unpunished, but I should be able to plead with him.”
“Don’t you dare!” I sobbed, clutching him tighter.
“If you do…”
He stroked my face lightly, shaking his head.
“Rin, nothing will happen to me. If I lay bleeding in bed for a few weeks, it’s nothing compared to—“
“If I can give you one order…just one…will you swear not to do that?” I interrupted.
“I can’t swear, but I can think about it…” Alexius whispered.
How he was able to keep so calm, I’m sure I will never know. He was doing a wonderful job of comforting me, though.
“You don’t want to fall asleep like this, do you?” Alexius laughed, nudging me softly when I began to fall asleep.
“I’ve slept on worse…” I groaned.
“I’ve slept on your father’s marble floors before. Honestly, this is Heaven compared to that Hell,”
“Either way, I’m taking you to my bedroom,” Alexius laughed, gathering me up into his arms before I could protest.
I didn’t want to protest, though; why should I? He was warm and soft, and I knew that bed would be even better…and perhaps I thought something else, too, but it wasn’t my place to think about Alexius like that…and that’s all I’ll admit.
Alexius didn’t lock the door this time, though. He laid me down on the bed, supposing that I was asleep…but I wasn’t. He slipped off his vest and tie, laying them down on the bed beside me.
I heard a knock at the door and drew my eyes open a tad. I would still look completely asleep, but he wouldn’t know that I was awake, watching his every move.
“Marceaux?” Alexius called.
His brother didn’t answer; he just walked right into the room. I heard the door close and the silver key turned with a soft click, but I wasn’t sure who closed and locked the door.
“Good evening, Marc. How are you?”
“Fine. How was your evening, Alexius?”
He glanced towards me and I prayed that I wasn’t flustering. I saw why he might think what he did, however; Alexius was undressed!
“It was fine. Will you stop staring?”
“Hey, I’m just trying to figure out why you’re undressed and she’s not…”
”Shut up or get out!” Alexius hissed, narrowing his eyes at Marceaux.
“Don’t blame your virginity on me,”
“Get out, Marceaux! Get out or I’ll see to it that you’re hanged!” he growled, blushing wildly.
Marceaux didn’t utter another word for quite some time, but I heard him snicker. It was difficult to avert my eyes away from Alexius, but I couldn’t help but stare. When you’ve been in love with someone for months and not known if they’ve felt the same, it’s not hard to wonder what they look like undressed!
“She’s a doll, Alexius. So…since that isn’t the case today…have you ever…?”
”No, Marceaux. Unlike you and our father, I don’t like womanizing,”
”Oh, please, Alexius! She’s a slave; no one will care,”
”Her brother will. He’s already suspicious of me…”
Alexius paused, sighing. He shook his head, sliding into bed next to me.
“No, that’s an understatement, my brother; he hates me,”
”Why? If I recall, wasn’t it you who stopped father from killing him? And wasn’t it you that stopped father from giving Rin one-hundred lashes? And wasn’t it you that lied to our father, saying that you stole something that he had, receiving the lashes meant for him? How dare he hate you?”
“Marceaux, it’s not a matter of that. He doesn’t trust a prince with his sister. Rather, he doesn’t trust the firstborn son of Julius Arcelus with his sister,”
“If anything,” Marceaux began, sighing.
He kept his voice low— afraid of someone over-hearing, I suppose.
“You should hate him. He wants to keep Rin away from you. He’s persuading Razael…he wants him to stop you from being with her,”
“That’s ridiculous! Why would I hate him for that? He has all right to hate me, brother,”
“You’re too kind,” Marceaux snapped.
“Oh, I am? Hayani!”
I wanted to giggle, wondering what Alexius was going to tell him to do to Marceaux.
“Yes?”
He’d unlocked the door—which frightened me terribly; if he could do that now, what would stop him from doing it later?—and peeked his head in, his green eyes playfully flitting over to Marceaux.
“I would adore if you could teach Marceaux a little lesson,”
”A slap on the wrist, hmm, Alex?”
“No, no. Hmm…fifteen lashes or a night in the cold, Marceaux?”
“You wouldn’t dare…” he hissed.
“Make it thirty-five and do it quickly,”
Alexius’s mock-authority was hilarious; it was obvious that he was only kidding, having no intention of harming his little brother, but Marceaux thought that he was serious!
“Honestly, Alexius, you wouldn’t!” Marceaux whined…and I noticed tears flooding to his eyes.
“Of course not, Marceaux! I love you too much…actually, I just wanted to bring you to tears like the baby you know you are,”
”Alexius, you’re cruel!”
While Marceaux wiped away his tears like an angry toddler, Alexius chuckled as Hayani leaned against the door, trembling in silent laughter.
As the two left, Alexius mouthed his thanks to Hayani, winking as he closed and locked the door.
Alexius was back on the bed soon enough and I wrapped my arms around his waist, pulling myself closer. He thought nothing of it; not thinking I was awake, of course.
He stroked my back softly, singing a tune I didn’t recognize.
“I wish you sweet dreams, my little rabbit…” Alexius purred, brushing his lips against mine.
You too… I thought, drifting off to sleep.[/pre]
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