In the Study

Rellah watched as her father shook the hand of the last noble before turning from the door. Servants kept their heads bowed as they scurried by her, heading toward the dining room to collect more dishes. Rellah�s legs trembled as her father approached her. His blue eyes turned deep grey, and he grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her toward him, guiding her down the hall. They reached the bottom of a stone staircase covered with blue velvet, and he began to climb them, jerking her behind with unnecessary force.

Rellah nearly tripped over the bottom of her dress, and with her free arm she bunched the silks in her hand, trying to keep up the pace with her father. When they reached the top, he pulled her to the right, striding quickly down the corridor. Rellah, too afraid to speak, began to think about her mother, lying deathly ill somewhere in the castle. She had answered all of her father�s questions while dancing earlier, and she hoped he was taking her to see her mother. She looked behind her in hopes to see Nikita and Odessa following behind them, but the hall was empty, a few lit candles mounted in their holders on the walls.

He pushed her into a darkened room, and shut the door behind them. Rellah could hear him turn a key to lock the door, and her throat began to tighten. A strike of match made her jump. He began to light candles in the room, ignoring the panic in her eyes. She looked around the room and realized it was his study. Ancient books lined the shelves on every wall, leathery chairs and couches surrounded the fireplace. He moved to the fireplace, tossing the match into it, and a little spark of light was born on a wooden log. Soon, the fire grew, beginning to warm the room. Above the fireplace was a portrait of her mother, painted long before Rellah was born. She studied the picture until her father�s voice interrupted her wishful thoughts.

�So, my dear, did you enjoy the other realms you visited?� he half-sat on his desk, watching her intensely, his expression unreadable by her. He motioned to her to take a seat, but she stood frozen in the middle of the room. A smile spread across his face, and he shook his head lightly.

�Anything is better than this prison,� Rellah�s eyes grew bright with anger. �I answered your questions, father. Let me see mother.�

His eyes sparkled with amusement. �My, my, how you�ve changed. You couldn�t have forgotten so soon who gives the orders around here, could you?�

Rellah continued to glare at him as he moved from the desk and slowly toward her. His hand reached out for her, caressing her cheek. Rellah went to brush his hand away in disgust, and his seemingly genuine touch of affection turned into a slap across her face, sending her in a heap on the floor. She turned to look up at him angrily, a hand reaching up to her face to rub the swollen area. He pulled her by some of her locks of hair into a standing position, his other hand moving over her scar, tracing the exposed part while his words were hot and unwelcome in her ear.

�You know why no one asks you about this? They all believe you received it while you had been away from the castle for all those years, and they don�t want to bring up such painful memories for you, their princess. Tell me, daughter, would you like another one? I won�t miss your heart this time, your mother�s not here to protect you,� he whispered, the tone of his voice turning her blood cold.

Rellah didn�t reply. She held her words inside, hoping that he would bring her to her mother. He pushed her forward, and she fell into a chair. Quickly turning to face him, Rellah�s breathing had nearly ceased. He had drawn a sword, the tip a few inches from her chest. She glanced up at him to find his eyes had a wild look in them. His hand began to tremble. Rellah began to speak, her voice in a whisper. �Father��

�If you weren�t so damn important, I�d kill you right now,� he stated, his sword still pointed toward her.

�No, you wouldn�t, my Lord Caranthir,� a voice from the balcony startled both of them. Nikita made her way out of the shadows, and through the large open balcony doors. �She is no longer heir to the throne now that she has other duties. Rellah is no longer a threat to you.�

Caranthir looked back at Rellah, and after a few moments, he lowered the sword to his side. �Take her to the Tower. Do not let her out of your sight.�

Rellah began to ask about her mother, but Nikita silenced her with a look. Blinking back tears, Rellah slowly stood, her legs wobbly. Nikita helped her to the door, turning the key that Caranthir had left in the keyhole, unlocking the door. He stood with his back to them, leaning on his desk, his head down. His hand limply held the sword. Without looking back, Rellah continued out into the hallway. As Nikita shut the door, Caranthir spoke.

�Nikita, I want you to return here once Rellah is back in the Tower. We need to discuss what happened the night she escaped,� he didn�t look up.

�Yes, my Lord,� Nikita replied before shutting the door completely.

~*~

Rellah collapsed on her bed in the Tower. She could hear Nikita whisper to Odessa, and then she heard her walk down the stone steps and back to her father. She felt Odessa�s hands gently slip off her shoes, and then she felt Odessa�s weight as she sat on the bed.

�Princess, would you like a bath drawn? I�ve laid out your sleeping gown�� Odessa spoke softly, unsure how to comfort Rellah, who had begun to cry softly.

Tears streamed down Rellah�s creamy cheeks, who was trying not to break down all together. After a few moments of silence, Odessa stood up, drawing the silky drapes closed, and moving to a chair by the fireplace. Rellah reached to her head, pulling gently at the crown. She laid it in front of her, staring into the thousands of cut gems, hoping to catch a glimpse of something that couldn�t possibly be reflected.

Odessa would never know that the reason Rellah cried was not because of her father threatening to kill her tonight, but because the ache in her heart had grown stronger for the loss of her love. As she pulled off her rings and gloves, she wished to be back in the Tao Tower. She wished for Azeron to hug and kiss her and hold her close while she slept. Rellah placed the gloves and rings near the crown, her violet eyes shimmery from tears and the candlelight.

Weariness finally caught up to the distressed princess, and her eyelids grew heavy as though they had suddenly acquired weights on top of them. She thought again to her father�s threat. Her mind began to race with wild thoughts. If she were dead, she would no longer have to run. Her heart would not ache as it had started to. Before she finally drifted into sleep, Rellah decided that death might be the only thing that saved her from the nightmare she had been brought back into.

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> Rellah watched as her father shook the hand of the last noble before turning from the door. Servants kept their heads bowed as they scurried by her, heading toward the dining room to collect more dishes. Rellah�s legs trembled as her father approached her. His blue eyes turned deep grey, and he grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her toward him, guiding her down the hall. They reached the bottom of a stone staircase covered with blue velvet, and he began to climb them, jerking her behind with unnecessary force. > Rellah nearly tripped over the bottom of her dress, and with her free arm she bunched the silks in her hand, trying to keep up the pace with her father. When they reached the top, he pulled her to the right, striding quickly down the corridor. Rellah, too afraid to speak, began to think about her mother, lying deathly ill somewhere in the castle. She had answered all of her father�s questions while dancing earlier, and she hoped he was taking her to see her mother. She looked behind her in hopes to see Nikita and Odessa following behind them, but the hall was empty, a few lit candles mounted in their holders on the walls. > He pushed her into a darkened room, and shut the door behind them. Rellah could hear him turn a key to lock the door, and her throat began to tighten. A strike of match made her jump. He began to light candles in the room, ignoring the panic in her eyes. She looked around the room and realized it was his study. Ancient books lined the shelves on every wall, leathery chairs and couches surrounded the fireplace. He moved to the fireplace, tossing the match into it, and a little spark of light was born on a wooden log. Soon, the fire grew, beginning to warm the room. Above the fireplace was a portrait of her mother, painted long before Rellah was born. She studied the picture until her father�s voice interrupted her wishful thoughts. > �So, my dear, did you enjoy the other realms you visited?� he half-sat on his desk, watching her intensely, his expression unreadable by her. He motioned to her to take a seat, but she stood frozen in the middle of the room. A smile spread across his face, and he shook his head lightly. > �Anything is better than this prison,� Rellah�s eyes grew bright with anger. �I answered your questions, father. Let me see mother.� > His eyes sparkled with amusement. �My, my, how you�ve changed. You couldn�t have forgotten so soon who gives the orders around here, could you?� > Rellah continued to glare at him as he moved from the desk and slowly toward her. His hand reached out for her, caressing her cheek. Rellah went to brush his hand away in disgust, and his seemingly genuine touch of affection turned into a slap across her face, sending her in a heap on the floor. She turned to look up at him angrily, a hand reaching up to her face to rub the swollen area. He pulled her by some of her locks of hair into a standing position, his other hand moving over her scar, tracing the exposed part while his words were hot and unwelcome in her ear. > �You know why no one asks you about this? They all believe you received it while you had been away from the castle for all those years, and they don�t want to bring up such painful memories for you, their princess. Tell me, daughter, would you like another one? I won�t miss your heart this time, your mother�s not here to protect you,� he whispered, the tone of his voice turning her blood cold. > Rellah didn�t reply. She held her words inside, hoping that he would bring her to her mother. He pushed her forward, and she fell into a chair. Quickly turning to face him, Rellah�s breathing had nearly ceased. He had drawn a sword, the tip a few inches from her chest. She glanced up at him to find his eyes had a wild look in them. His hand began to tremble. Rellah began to speak, her voice in a whisper. �Father�� > �If you weren�t so damn important, I�d kill you right now,� he stated, his sword still pointed toward her. > �No, you wouldn�t, my Lord Caranthir,� a voice from the balcony startled both of them. Nikita made her way out of the shadows, and through the large open balcony doors. �She is no longer heir to the throne now that she has other duties. Rellah is no longer a threat to you.� > Caranthir looked back at Rellah, and after a few moments, he lowered the sword to his side. �Take her to the Tower. Do not let her out of your sight.� > Rellah began to ask about her mother, but Nikita silenced her with a look. Blinking back tears, Rellah slowly stood, her legs wobbly. Nikita helped her to the door, turning the key that Caranthir had left in the keyhole, unlocking the door. He stood with his back to them, leaning on his desk, his head down. His hand limply held the sword. Without looking back, Rellah continued out into the hallway. As Nikita shut the door, Caranthir spoke. > �Nikita, I want you to return here once Rellah is back in the Tower. We need to discuss what happened the night she escaped,� he didn�t look up. > �Yes, my Lord,� Nikita replied before shutting the door completely. > ~*~ > Rellah collapsed on her bed in the Tower. She could hear Nikita whisper to Odessa, and then she heard her walk down the stone steps and back to her father. She felt Odessa�s hands gently slip off her shoes, and then she felt Odessa�s weight as she sat on the bed. > �Princess, would you like a bath drawn? I�ve laid out your sleeping gown�� Odessa spoke softly, unsure how to comfort Rellah, who had begun to cry softly. > Tears streamed down Rellah�s creamy cheeks, who was trying not to break down all together. After a few moments of silence, Odessa stood up, drawing the silky drapes closed, and moving to a chair by the fireplace. Rellah reached to her head, pulling gently at the crown. She laid it in front of her, staring into the thousands of cut gems, hoping to catch a glimpse of something that couldn�t possibly be reflected. > Odessa would never know that the reason Rellah cried was not because of her father threatening to kill her tonight, but because the ache in her heart had grown stronger for the loss of her love. As she pulled off her rings and gloves, she wished to be back in the Tao Tower. She wished for Azeron to hug and kiss her and hold her close while she slept. Rellah placed the gloves and rings near the crown, her violet eyes shimmery from tears and the candlelight. > Weariness finally caught up to the distressed princess, and her eyelids grew heavy as though they had suddenly acquired weights on top of them. She thought again to her father�s threat. Her mind began to race with wild thoughts. If she were dead, she would no longer have to run. Her heart would not ache as it had started to. Before she finally drifted into sleep, Rellah decided that death might be the only thing that saved her from the nightmare she had been brought back into.
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