Gaea - Chapter 15

Author's note: Probably only rated PG-13 at best, but a rather emotional scene. The ambition of Raina is amazing and her foresight proves she will be a valuable queen. Though she is as dangerous as Hilga with her desires and another strong woman has yet to appear! For those of you missing Aphonia and the others, several more chapters and the story plot will continue, the backdrop of Belrin must be completed and all players introduced first.

On to the story!

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Chapter 15

Cein moved the damaged books to new shelves and thrown the broken shelves into the trash pit before Raina awoke. Cleverly placing a book in her hand, he had hoped to blame the matter on nap, but this trick did not work as planned. As Raina awoke she shook her head and sought out Cein at his desk to confront him at once. As Cein was dealing with another set of records, Raina announced herself with a soft cough.

“Yes, Raina?” Cein asked, trying to hide his frazzled nerves from the girl's keen senses.

“I cannot seem to remember what I did today, what was I supposed to study Master Cein?” Raina asked, and Cein breathed a sigh of relief to himself.

“Prince Agat,” Cein recalled, “Yes, I want to you read about Leviathan. It should be an interesting read.”

“I will,” Raina said as she hopped down towards the library again, “I love the epics! Love! Love! Love!”

Each time she said that word, Cein felt pain in his heart and his stomach protested violently as guilt took over him, yet some how he managed to continue on with his work. Until a short time later, too short, Raina came back to disturb him once more. Announcing herself with another weak cough, Cein asked again, “Yes, Raina? What is it now?”

“I believe I win,” she said weakly, clutching a small book in her hand.

“You win what?” Cein was forced to look upon her and his eyes widened as the girl's skin was glowing a pale white, “What is going on?”

“Gilsan and Maria,” Raina announced, “I've completed it. Can you see, Master?”

Cein growled under his breathe, “That damn book. How far did you plan it out?”

“A little more then a month,” Raina set the book down on top of his records, “At this point you have already lost to me, because I am still alive. Your hand is bound and the cards are down, what will you do about me now?”

Cein opened the book and saw her entire conversation to him wrote out with his assumed responses and what each would mean. She had provoked him knowing full well what the outcomes were to be, including what would warrant the loss of her memory. Cein let out a soft sigh, “You are smarter then I had expected, but more importantly you would throw everything away to test this hypothesis of yours?”

“Of course,” Raina smiled, “If I was not madly in love with you... I could never hope to snare you.”

Cein stood up and his body began to glow white-hot, like a blazing sun, “Ars Arcanum is unable to be used by mortals. How are you able to control it?”

“Sen-ka-lera,” Raina said as she pointed at Cein, the tip of her finger shot a single beam of light into his body and the Cardinal fell to his knees, his power sealed by her spell.

“You are a witch,” Cein growled, “Even if you kill me it won't change your fate.”

“Kill you?” Raina giggled, “I just need to make sure you are restrained for my proposition. Since last time you wiped my memories, probably before I finished.”

“So you don't remember?” Cein feel to the floor on his stomach, his body unable to move from the witch's spell, “You've really put too much thought into this.”

“Perhaps, but you want Marham to exist forever, don't you?” Raina laid down in front of him, making eye contact even in this humiliating position with her master, “I just want to protect you and everyone from suffering. It is the least a queen should do for her people.”

“Like I would believe the idealism of a horny selfish little bitch. Just because I am your first love doesn't mean you'll grow up and marry me. Gilsan and Maria should have taught you that!”

“It taught me a lot of things,” Raina placed her hand on his head, “Namely that lovers must exist within the same time and place. I've already found the way to become an angel and unless you kill me I will seek out that power for myself.”

“I erased your memory to protect you from yourself! Do you know what you are doing is terribly wrong? Even if you manage to obtain our power, nothing but pain will come from it,” Cein struggled to move, “You will enter a new world which you could not possibly understand.”

“Master Cein, you protected me from using Ars Arcanum even though you knew I could not use the power until you used it upon me,” Raina pulled herself up and onto her knees, “So it means you have used it on me before and I cannot remember when or why you would use it on me... or you wanted to make sure I could not use it at all.”

“When you use a spell to destroy your spirit I'd hope that I would stop you whether or not you had the power,” Cein finally gave up resisting and decided to listen to the child, “Though yes, that was the first time I used it on you.”

Raina smiled, “Ah so that is what that spell does... Doesn't it feel better to be honest? Now tell me, what happened.”

“You taunted me with that spell and you didn't even know what it did?” Cein turned his head away from the girl, “I smacked you through the bookcases and bound you before I took away your memories.”

“Did that hurt you?” Raina's spell finally broke, allowing Cein movement again.

“Yes,” Cein admitted as he pulled himself onto his knees and looked at Raina as an equal for once, “Even though I am supposed to protect you, I cannot protect you.”

“All I ask is that you accept me and try to love me the same way I love you,” Raina inched closer to Cein, she blushed weakly as she did so.

“It doesn't bother you that I am so old and destined to out live you many times over?” Cein shook his head, “Love is forbidden because of the pain it brings, just like it has done to the Wentz line.”

“You've never loved anyone?”

“No, I've never let myself love.”

“Will you make a promise with me?” Raina reached out her hand to take his, “Promise me that you will marry me when I become an angel like you.”

Cein didn't need to think about it, she would never become one and even if she did the idea did not sound bad to him, “I promise to marry you when you become an angel, but until then no more witchcraft.”

“I promise, besides I just used all the residual power you gave to me to use it.” Raina giggled and kissed him on the cheek, “Can I read the forbidden books?”

“No,” Cein said immediately, but quickly broke down and added, “I'll think about it. I could really use a second set of eyes for those. You also seem to have an unbreakable iron will, so I shouldn't deny you unless I want to cross the future Queen.”

“Well put,” she stood up, forcing Cein to stand as well, her hand still firmly clasped in his, “How about you start by teaching me how to do these books?”

“You want to learn about land deeds, transactions and finances?” Cein eyed her suspiciously, “This is the most boring work you could do... but I'd be happy for the help.”

Letting go of his hand, Raina stood over Cein's shoulder as he cast aside her malicious book and opened up the records, “This book details taxes paid by the people for their plots of land. It is our job to make sure they paid the correct amount by the columns on the left with the columns on the right.”

All the numbers baffled Raina, the collection of digits and obscure abbreviations were as hard to understand as the Ars Arcanum spells she had read. As Cein pointed out what each figure and symbol meant, Raina moved ever closer until her head rest upon his shoulder and her arms locked in a warm hug around his chest. It was the beginning of a strange relationship between which was forbidden by its very nature and neither one cared to break the fragile peace between them both. Cein was humbled by her strong will and she was eager to win his affection.