PART NINETEEN
"So this is the hidden city."
"Yes."
Angele sniffed and felt her eyes, still hot from crying, fill again.
"What'll we do now?" She asked Ralf, who had his arms around her.
"I don't know."
She could hear the tears in his voice.
"What's going to happen to us?"
She tried hard to keep her voice calm. The thought of living a life in a cell, a life she had planned to do so much more with, was hard to look in the face without reeling back, trembling.
"I don't know, Angele." Despairingly, then calmer.
"One of the guards said we would probably be kept together so you wouldn't kill yourself."
Angele laughed, sarcastically. "Why would they care?"
Ralf shook his head wordlessly. They stood in silence while he got his voice under control.
"He said we would most likely be executed within a month."
Angele tried to smother a sob.
"Angele."
"Yes?"
"Their leader has the same name as your mother."
Angele tried to laugh again, but it sounded more like a sob.
"Mirabell came and told me she was my mother. I wasn't sure if I had dreamed it or not."
There was silence again, as Ralf gently stroked Angele's hair.
"Ralf?"
"What?"
"I'm going to have another baby."
He kissed her head and held her closer.
Sunday 27 May 2018
Sunday 20 May 2018
And Eighteen
Mirabell marched down the door lined corridor with a grim expression. He didn't want to do what Chrystal had ordered him to, but if he didn't then she would probably get someone else to do it. And if Ralf said yes, even though he'd never see Angele again, at least he wouldn't have to spend the rest of his life without sight. Mirabell opened the cell door and entered. Ralf, who had been lying down trying to sleep, now got up and looked at Mirabell. Mirabell had seen this look before, the look of the prisoner facing his captor, but this time was made harder, since Mirabell had known and made friends with Ralf. That made his task more hateful and despicable than ever.
"Ralf." He began. "My leader, Chrystal Sky Weaver inquires whether... you are willing to become a part of our force."
"Your force?"
Mirabell couldn't read Ralf's expression or tone.
"What does your force do?"
"We take from the controllers."
"How?"
Mirabell was feeling very uncomfortable.
"We attack and confiscate what they own."
He waited anxiously for a response.
"But the controllers own all the camps on the Frozen Plains."
"Yes." Mirabell hated himself as he watched Ralf consider.
"So if I say yes, I'll have to steal from the innocent people I grew up with because your leader doesn't like the people in charge of them?"
Mirabell had nothing to say.
"What will happen to Angele?"
Here it was, the question Mirabell had been dreading.
"She stays in the dungeon."
Ralf's expression didn't change as he said, "Well no then."
Mirabell wished he'd declined and someone else was here to do this, but he was here and nothing he could do would change that in a positive way.
"Ralf. If you say no, do you know what they'll do to you?"
Ralf looked resigned. "Kill me?"
"NO. They'll blind you."
"Well anything's better than living without Angele OR a clear conscience." Ralf's unnatural calmness was very unsettling, distracting Mirabell from the pointlessness of the remark.
"Besides, there isn't anything here that I'd particularly miss seeing."
"Are you SURE?" Mirabell was beginning to worry about Ralf's mental health; life in a cell could DO things to you.
"Yes, I'm sure."
Mirabell unhappily opened the cell door again and escorted Ralf away.
END SECTION
"Ralf." He began. "My leader, Chrystal Sky Weaver inquires whether... you are willing to become a part of our force."
"Your force?"
Mirabell couldn't read Ralf's expression or tone.
"What does your force do?"
"We take from the controllers."
"How?"
Mirabell was feeling very uncomfortable.
"We attack and confiscate what they own."
He waited anxiously for a response.
"But the controllers own all the camps on the Frozen Plains."
"Yes." Mirabell hated himself as he watched Ralf consider.
"So if I say yes, I'll have to steal from the innocent people I grew up with because your leader doesn't like the people in charge of them?"
Mirabell had nothing to say.
"What will happen to Angele?"
Here it was, the question Mirabell had been dreading.
"She stays in the dungeon."
Ralf's expression didn't change as he said, "Well no then."
Mirabell wished he'd declined and someone else was here to do this, but he was here and nothing he could do would change that in a positive way.
"Ralf. If you say no, do you know what they'll do to you?"
Ralf looked resigned. "Kill me?"
"NO. They'll blind you."
"Well anything's better than living without Angele OR a clear conscience." Ralf's unnatural calmness was very unsettling, distracting Mirabell from the pointlessness of the remark.
"Besides, there isn't anything here that I'd particularly miss seeing."
"Are you SURE?" Mirabell was beginning to worry about Ralf's mental health; life in a cell could DO things to you.
"Yes, I'm sure."
Mirabell unhappily opened the cell door again and escorted Ralf away.
END SECTION
Saturday 12 May 2018
Part Seventeen
Sonia sat on the high legged bed, swinging her feet back and forth idly. She didn't feel inclined to leave the rooms again after what she had seen in the great hall. A knock on the front room door startled her. Without asking for permission, into the room strode Ivan.
"Sonia," Sonia looked at him expectantly, trying to suppress the urge to either scream and run or punch his nose again. Where was Etina?
"What do you want?" She inquired.
"I want you to marry me." He smiled condescendingly down at her. Sonia wasn't sure how to react. She was angry that Ivan thought she would accept, she was afraid he would force her, she was shocked he would go this far. It had never occurred to her that Ivan would ever consider this as a possibility.
"Why would I want to marry YOU?" Sonia snapped as she stood up from the bed
Ivan looked blank. He very obviously hadn't expected this. "Because I'm going to be leader after Chrystal." It was almost funny how badly prepared he was.
"Why do you think I would want to marry you? I hate you and nothing can make me stop hating you. Now, kindly get out of my rooms." She smiled coldly at him and turned back to her seat on the bed. Where on earth was Etina? But Ivan seized her left arm and dragged her toward him. "I'll make you marry me." He hissed, squeezing her arm. She tried to hit his face with her free hand but he caught it and held it. She stomped hard on his toes. Despite having no shoes on, Sonia had very hard feet and Ivan had on light, custom made boots for inside use only. He didn't express any pain, but his hold on her arm and wrist tightened. With her left hand she punched the arm holding it and kicked Ivan in the leg. Now he let go and she hit his nose. Ivan knew better than to stay after that. Outside he encountered Shine, who had taken to wandering around following him. He ignored her. "Lord Ivan." She curtsied. "What's wrong? You don't look happy." She was so annoying. Ivan continued to ignore her.
"If you don't want to tell me, that's alright. I don't mind." Ivan was too self absorbed at that moment to notice, or care, that Shine was trembling like a cornered animal. "If you do tell me what's wrong, I promise I will keep your secret."
"GO AWAY!" Ivan roared. Shine flattened against the wall and watched in terror as Ivan raged away down the stairs.Within the week it was announced that Ivan was engaged to Lana Kier. He did this to spite Sonia, to make her regret her decision and she couldn't change her mind now, that it was easy enough to get someone else. Ivan had chosen Lana purely for her looks, since she was pretty and blonde, a rare occurrence in that part of the world. (Many children were born blonde, but their hair usually darkened before they were nine). Lana had accepted him to escape prison life, and because she could see herself happily married to this man, at least, after she could get over what happened to Jermaine. When Shine heard the news, she disappeared. When the signal from her security bracelet was followed, all that was found was the bracelet and what was assumed to be Shine's hand.
"Sonia," Sonia looked at him expectantly, trying to suppress the urge to either scream and run or punch his nose again. Where was Etina?
"What do you want?" She inquired.
"I want you to marry me." He smiled condescendingly down at her. Sonia wasn't sure how to react. She was angry that Ivan thought she would accept, she was afraid he would force her, she was shocked he would go this far. It had never occurred to her that Ivan would ever consider this as a possibility.
"Why would I want to marry YOU?" Sonia snapped as she stood up from the bed
Ivan looked blank. He very obviously hadn't expected this. "Because I'm going to be leader after Chrystal." It was almost funny how badly prepared he was.
"Why do you think I would want to marry you? I hate you and nothing can make me stop hating you. Now, kindly get out of my rooms." She smiled coldly at him and turned back to her seat on the bed. Where on earth was Etina? But Ivan seized her left arm and dragged her toward him. "I'll make you marry me." He hissed, squeezing her arm. She tried to hit his face with her free hand but he caught it and held it. She stomped hard on his toes. Despite having no shoes on, Sonia had very hard feet and Ivan had on light, custom made boots for inside use only. He didn't express any pain, but his hold on her arm and wrist tightened. With her left hand she punched the arm holding it and kicked Ivan in the leg. Now he let go and she hit his nose. Ivan knew better than to stay after that. Outside he encountered Shine, who had taken to wandering around following him. He ignored her. "Lord Ivan." She curtsied. "What's wrong? You don't look happy." She was so annoying. Ivan continued to ignore her.
"If you don't want to tell me, that's alright. I don't mind." Ivan was too self absorbed at that moment to notice, or care, that Shine was trembling like a cornered animal. "If you do tell me what's wrong, I promise I will keep your secret."
"GO AWAY!" Ivan roared. Shine flattened against the wall and watched in terror as Ivan raged away down the stairs.Within the week it was announced that Ivan was engaged to Lana Kier. He did this to spite Sonia, to make her regret her decision and she couldn't change her mind now, that it was easy enough to get someone else. Ivan had chosen Lana purely for her looks, since she was pretty and blonde, a rare occurrence in that part of the world. (Many children were born blonde, but their hair usually darkened before they were nine). Lana had accepted him to escape prison life, and because she could see herself happily married to this man, at least, after she could get over what happened to Jermaine. When Shine heard the news, she disappeared. When the signal from her security bracelet was followed, all that was found was the bracelet and what was assumed to be Shine's hand.
Quiet
PART SIXTEEN
Lana and Ralf had been allowed into Angele's cell. They clung together, silent and stunned. Tears trickled quietly down their cheeks. In ten minutes Ralf and Lana would have to leave Angele alone. Not a word had been said between them about Jermaine, each one being reluctant to remind the others. Now the guards came in and tore them apart, and Angele was again left to herself.
Lana and Ralf had been allowed into Angele's cell. They clung together, silent and stunned. Tears trickled quietly down their cheeks. In ten minutes Ralf and Lana would have to leave Angele alone. Not a word had been said between them about Jermaine, each one being reluctant to remind the others. Now the guards came in and tore them apart, and Angele was again left to herself.
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