Lover

[MissCellaFane]

Samir's mouth went dry as he watched her stop in mid-stride. Her face registered shock as she looked in his direction. "B-Brennan?" She asked.

So.....he really was Brennan. She really was Tessa. He only had that one memory of her, but it had been so powerful. Seeing her now before him, her eyes filling with tears, he realized he already knew her. He just hadn't wanted to admit it to himself. His mind raced and his heart hammered in his chest. He swallowed and stepped out from the shadows, approaching her slowly. "I remember you." He said softly. "Not everything. Just your name. That is....if you are Tessa. Are you Tessa?" Though he knew it was her, he had to be certain, had to be sure. It was too much for his mind to process.

 

[CJF]

Trista had not been prepared to see Samir, the vampire she'd talked to earlier, step from the shadows. Her heart stopped. But he'd been so sure! Trista was about to speak when he did. "I remember you." he said. "Not everything. Just your name. That is...if you are Tessa. Are you Tessa?"

It was too much to take in. Brennan, her Brennan, was alive, but in the form of a vampire! He remembered her, but that's all they were; memories. Trista's bottom lip quivered as tears streamed down her face. She nodded. "Yes. I'm Tessa." she said through sobs. "Tessa is a nickname you gave me. Tristessa is my full name." She looked up at him, her heart longing to have him hold her. "What happened?" she asked, not entirely sure she wished to know. "Why did you leave?"

 

[MissCellaFane]

Samir's throat tightened at her tears. Why was she affecting him this way? He didn't know her! He only had one memory of her! And yet, her voice seemed as familiar has his own; her eyes, though filled with tears, practically begged him to take her in his arms. But he didn't.

He reached up and pushed his hood back from his face, allowing her to look in his eyes. "I don't have the answer to that, Tristessa." He said, stopping in front of her and looking down on her tear-stained face. "As I said, I only remember your name and.....and one midsummer's day with you." He made to reach up and brush a tear away, but quickly withdrew his hand before it touched her cheek, stepping back once. No. He was a vampire now. A blood-thirsty beast. He was probably scaring her now with his hood off, with his black eyes and his sharp fangs peeking from behind his lips as he talked.

"I was Brennan. But Brennan is gone. This is who I am now. I'm Samir." He paused, suddenly feeling the urge to run, his eyes never leaving hers. Leave her be. A voice inside him said. You've caused her enough pain. "I'm sorry for upsetting you. I just....needed to know." Eve would understand if he left, at least disappearing into the shadows for a bit until Tristessa left. It was such a strange mixture of emotions. He needed to get away, but his feet wouldn't move. All he could do was stare at her, wanting to know more about his life as Brennan, but afraid he would want to become that man again.....and that was impossible.

 

[CJF]

"I don't have the answer to that, Tristessa." he said as he removed his hood. Despite the fact that he looked completely different than Brennan, she could now see the resemblances. His voice was what brought it out the most. "As I said, I only remember your name...and one midsummer's day with you." Trista wondered which day he remembered.

She looked down as she saw his hand come up towards her cheek and knew she'd break down completely if she felt his skin against hers. She watched him quickly withdraw his hand, and felt a twinge of diappointment. She'd longed to feel his skin against hers for so many years. "I was Brennan." he said. "But Brennan is gone. This is who I am now. I'm Samir."

What was he saying? He was admitting that he was Brennan and denying it at the same time. "I'm sorry for upsetting you. I just...needed to know." He stood still for a moment, looking as though he wanted to leave. Trista was utterly confused.

"So, the fact that we were once lovers means nothing to you? You're just going to take this as another clue to the past you've forgotten?" The tears were flowing steadily now. "What am I supposed to do? I've been waiting for you for almost fourty years! I thought I would never see you again, and only in my dreams was something like this possible! And you expect me to go on as if we never saw each other here? That may be easy for you; you don't remember what it was like to be held by the one person you would willingly spend the rest of your life with!"

Trista felt as though she would explode. She covered her mouth with her hands, and turned her back towards him. She hadn't meant to completely unload on him, but it was what she felt. So he was going to leave her, again.

 

[Nella Fantasia]

Eve had made her way through the familiar route she had taken earlier that day. When she came to the gardens, she stopped dead in her tracks. Of course there would be so many people lurking around. In fact, it was almost disgusting. Of all these people, how many did the queen and king know personally? Probably only a few. The fools.

As soon as she was starting to get frustrated standing there in the shadows and not knowing how to get a hold of Roden, a boy passed by the bushes very close. Probably a servant. Without thinking twice, Eve suddenly reached out, grabbed his thin arm, and jerked him in. She held his mouth to he wouldn't scream, and he stared at her, his eyes wide with fear.

"Shh, don't say anything," Eve whispered, glancing out into the open. "I need you to do something for me, and as a reward I have a few coins to give you." She could see his eyes visibly lessen their terror. "What do you say?"

Slowly she let his mouth free, keeping her hand near just in case she had to use it again. But he didn't. He looked eager. "What do you need?"

Eve smiled. Perfect. "Find Roden the healer. Tell him to meet me in the sacred gardens. He'll know what I'm talking about." She reached into her pouch and pulled out a few coins, dropping them into his outstretched hand. "Now go."

Quickly he went and Eve turned to make her way to the sacred gardens.

 

[MissCellaFane]

Samir blinked at Tristessa's outburst. Somehow he hadn't expected all that to come out of an elf. Weren't they supposed to be regal and composed? But she had a point. So, the fact that we were once lovers means nothing to you? Her voice rang inside his head. She had turned away from him, hand at her mouth.

He stepped forward until he was right behind her. "What else am I supposed to do?" He asked, his voice slightly louder now. "I can't go back to who I was! I'm-I'm a vampire now!" He let out a frustrated growl and turned away, running a hand across his forehead. He sighed, his broad shoulders sagging as he closed his eyes resignedly. He ran a hand across his eyes and then opened them again, turning around so he could look at her. "I know you remember me as Brennan, but I don't! I only know Samir!" He grasped her arm and turned her around to face him. "Tell me what you want of me, Tessa!"

************

Roden didn't compete in the chess tournament. Instead, he spent his time in his laboratory, working on the extra potions for the party that evening. The phials had finally arrived two hours before and he had set to work on the potion immediately. He just couldn't bring himself to face Kaira. Not yet.

A knock sounded on his laboratory door. "Enter." He called out. A young boy poked his head around the corner. Dyllan, one of the stablehand's sons. "Yes, Dyllan?"

"A lady wants to see you. In the sacred garden."

Roden's heart leapt. Eve! It had to be! Then.....the poison must be ready! He nodded at Dyllan. "Thank you."

The boy took this as his cue to leave and Roden corked the phial he had just filled, setting it on the table next to the others before exiting his laboratory. He made his way to the right gardens, his excitement and nervousness barely contained. Why had Eve come herself? Perhaps there was something about the poison she needed to explain to him.

He rounded a particularly large hedge and stepped into the sacred gardens, glancing around for his childhood friend. When he spotted her, he cleared his throat to announce his presence, stepping toward her. "Hello, Eve." He said, offerring her a tiny smile, not sure what her attitude would be towards him now.

 

[Nella Fantasia]

As Eve figured, the sacred gardens were completely empty. Most of the time it was blocked off to the public only leaving the people of the castle allowed to enter. Fortunately, Eve knew all of castle's secrets and doors. She stepped out into the moonlight and stared up at the castle towers. She still couldn't believe she was actually here...and it was really happening.

She was only there for a few minutes when she heard a throat being cleared and then the unmistakable voice, "Hello, Eve."

Eve turned around to see Roden. She greeted him with the same smile he had. "Good evening, Roden. Enjoying the celebration?" But that was an irrelevant question. Of course he wasn't enjoying it. She walked closer to him until they were only inches apart and held out her hand. In her palm was the green liquid. "I believe you need this."

 

[CJF]

Trista heard him as he spoke, but refused to believe what he was saying. She knew that, deep down, the man she loved was still there. "I know you remember me as Brennan, but I don't! I only know Samir!" That was it! If he remembered who he was, then maybe things would change? He suddenly grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him. "Tell me what you want of me, Tessa!"

Trista looked into his eyes, searching them for any sign of the man she once knew. She looked away for a moment, and then looked back. "Don't give up on yourself." she said softly, the tears subsiding for the moment. "Try to remember your life before all this, and maybe it'll come back to you." She hoped he saw her point. And then because she couldn't help saying it, she added, "I refuse to believe that you've been brought back into my life, just so you can leave again."

 

[MissCellaFane]

Well at least Eve was being civil to him now. She held out a flask full of green liquid. He looked at it, his heart beating fast. So this was it. This was the poison that would kill the king. He reached out and carefully retrieved it, his fingers brushing her palm as he did so.

"You did it." He said, letting his smile grow wider. "I knew you could." He paused, sobering. He looked back up into her eyes. How he'd missed her. His father had favored her, there was no doubt about that, but he'd never resented her for it. In fact he was grateful. His father spent more time helping her than he did trying to force Roden to become something he wasn't. "I'll not fail you, Eve." He said, searching her face for the person he'd once known so long ago, the girl he'd teased and played tricks on as a child, the young woman he took to the royal functions his father always made him attend, his best friend. She was there somewhere, underneath the bitterness. He could still see it in her eyes.


**********

Samir wasn't sure what to say. Give up? It had been forty years! He was a vampire now! It was over!

And yet, the look in her eyes as she stared up at him was the same as in his dream. She loved him. His heart skipped a beat and his brow furrowed in confusion. No. She loved Brennan. She didn't love Samir. But he was Brennan.....sort of. He sighed, letting his hand drop from her arm. And she spoke again. "I refuse to believe that you've been brought back into my life, just so you can leave again."

He blinked. "I don't know why we were allowed to meet again after all these years." He paused. "But even if it does come back to me....there's still the fact that I'm a vampire." He searched her face. She looked so sad. "I can't change what I am. Tell me, Tessa, could you accept that?" He wasn't sure if he wanted to know the answer. If she said "no", it would be a relief but also a great disappointment. She had loved the man he was before, but now that he was a vampire she couldn't? And if she said "yes", well, things would get very complicated to say the least.

 

[Nella Fantasia]

Eve smirked. "Don't go praising me yet. I actually did very little though I tried and perspired over my spells for hours. I just don't know the energy to reduce destruction potions." She paused as she caught him staring at her. What was he thinking? She couldn't help but wonder.

"I'll not fail you, Eve," He said, his eyes still searching her own.

"Why, Roden. I wasn't aware you were doing this for me." Again she grinned, teasing.

 

[CJF]

Trista felt her heart quicken everytime he said, "Tessa". Knowing this was really Brennan, the man she loved, made her heart swell. She truly did see Brennan in him, but his point was a good one; he was different. He was a vampire. That did change things, no matter how hard she tried to believe it didn't.

She thought a moment, unsure of how to answer his question. Could she live her life with a vampire? The tears came again, but she held them back. She had to think. If she said yes, then she would have Brennan back. She would no longer live her life alone, wondering if he would return. But she would have to live with his...habbits. A vampire was so against everything an elf was, but would that matter if she could just have him with her?

If she said no, then she would really loose him, forever. There would be no going back; no second chances. She would be alone for the rest of her life. Would she be able to live knowing that she let him slip away, when she could have held onto him? She sighed and looked away. So do I sacrifice myself, accept him as he is and have him back, or reject him unless he changes? She felt so torn! Her heart screamed at her to just accept him, but her mind told her otherwise.

She looked back up at him and tried to hold back her tears. She knew she couldn't go back to living alone, not with the knowledge that Brennan was alive. She bit her lower lip. "It...It might take some time...but now that I know you're alive, I can't go back to living without you."

 

[MissCellaFane]

Roden allowed himself a small chuckle. "I'm doing this for both of us, I suppose." The tips of his fingers began to tingle as he ran his thumb over the flask in his hand. Death. That's what he held. Death for the king. Revenge for Eve. Justice for him. What the king deserved for the pain he had caused both Eve and Roden. What both of them deserved for their suffering. He nodded to Eve. "I'll begin tonight. I prepare a sleeping draft for him every night as he has trouble sleeping."

He paused as if he wanted to say something more and then turned away from her, heading back toward his laboratory. Just before he rounded the corner, he turned back. "It's nice to see you again, my friend." He said and then disappeared behind the hedge to concoct the king's sleeping draft....with the added ingredient of course. He felt excitement and anticipation shiver through him, but with it came a sense of dread. He was a healer, not a killer. But he shook the thought from his mind. Kaira was worth it.

**********

Samir wasn't sure he'd heard correctly at first. It didn't seem possible for an elf to accept a vampire. But wasn't that what she had just said?

He nodded. "I respect that." He said softly. He could certainly understand not wanting to be alone. He'd been alone for a long time as well, until he met Eve. But thoughts of Eve brought thoughts of the difficulties that lay ahead. He was bound to her. He cared for her very much, his best friend. And he had loved Tessa in the past. Would he be forced to make a choice? His heart began to pound. What had he gotten himself into? Why couldn't he have just let Tessa pass without talking to her?

But he hadn't. And now he knew the truth. He spoke again. "I can't simply pick up where we left off, you know. I'll try to remember because it's something that has bothered me for years...the fact I can't remember my past. I have one memory of you, but I can't guarantee that I will remember enough to...." He stopped, unsure of how to go on without hurting her. There was no easy way to say this. "....enough to love you again." He finished. He wasn't even sure that's what he wanted. He had a new life now. One with Eve. True, he wasn't in love with Eve, but neither was he in love with Tristessa at the moment. How had things become so complicated?

 

[CJF]

Trista felt her heart stop. So he didn't love her? Just because he'd forgotten her? Trista bit her lower lip to keep from bursting into tears again. Maybe he'd just answered their dilema. If he no longer cared for her in the way she cared for him, why even try to remember their life together? He'd said it himself. Even if he did manage to remember more, there were no guarantees that the feelings he once felt would return. The thought broke her heart. She blinked fiercely to keep the tears at bay, but failed. She quickly wiped away the tears that escaped, not wanting to be such an emotional wreck. She cleared her throat and nodded. "I understand." she said softly, even though she wished she didn't understand. She looked down at the ground and sighed. "Why is this happening?" she groanned, not expecting an answer.

 

[Nella Fantasia]

Eve watched as Roden disappeared inside the castle walls. In those few moments with him she began to feel different towards her childhood friend. Maybe she had judged him harshly. When she was banished he had still only been a child himself. What could he do? And now, unless he was lying, he was making sure to do all he could to help her. True, he was rewarded in the process, but he had said it himself. And she believed him.

Eve waited a few more minutes before going out the same way she had come in. Another several minutes and she was walking towards the front of the castle gates. She spotted Samir in the distance, surprisingly with his hood back and Eve didn't think that was such a go-

Wait. Who was that? Eve stopped dead in her tracks, squinting against the darkness. At first she couldn't believe he would be talking to anyone, but he was. And worse, it was an elf maiden. She might have been assuming, but she was certain it was the elf maiden. It couldn't have been just a casual passing because she was crying! Crying! And what was Samir doing? Probably buying it all, the idiot!

Anger spread quickly through her veins. Back in her head a small voice was telling her this was how she always got into trouble, letting her anger get to her, but right now she didn't care. Samir was hers! And if any harlot was thinking of taking him away, they were very, very foolish. And if Samir thought she was going to let said harlot, he was even moreso.

Eve saw red. It was hard for her to be coherent. She should have known not to bring Samir along! Then again she didn't think she would have to pry a woman from his betraying fingers! Well, she would; dead or alive.

Slowly she walked over, trying to keep herself from running to the elf, grabbing her throat, and choking her right there in the streets. In fact, the only thing that kept her from bursting the woman into flames was they were in front of the castle and people around. She couldn't risk being found out because of a foolish girl; not yet anyway.

She came up from behind Samir. "Well, it's a good thing you did come along, isn't it, Samir?" Her voice was cold and low as she gave a deathly stare towards the elf.

 

[MissCellaFane]

Samir felt his heart crash into the bottom of his stomach at the voice behind him. This was not good. This was not good at all. He turned slightly and stepped backwards so he was between them but could see them both. Eve looked livid. Tristessa looked confused.

He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. What could he possibly say? Hi, Eve! Did ya deliver the potion?.....Eve! What a surprise!......Eve, meet Tristessa, my former lover! But in all honesty, he didn't really think she expected him to answer her question. Samir groaned inwardly. He hadn't planned on seeing Tristessa. He hadn't planned on speaking with her. But it wouldn't matter to Eve. After all they had accomplished with the bonding ceremony and their embrace after she told him about her dream, it was crashing down around him. His heart beat wildly in his chest. And what was she going to do to Tristessa? May the gods help us. He thought to himself. She was never going to trust him again.

 

[CJF]

Trista frowned as the woman before her glared at her, as if she'd comitted some sort of sin by speaking with Samir. Who was this woman anyway? She hadn't seen her with him earlier. Trista looked from her to Samir, and then back to her. The woman looked as if she wanted to kill her. "W-What's going on?" she asked, but she had a feeling that was the last thing she wanted to know.

 

[Nella Fantasia]

So, Samir wasn't speaking, the elf was stuttering. Wonderful. It only made Eve wonder what exactly they had been talking about before she showed up. She didn't think Samir could be wooed by a frail, weak woman like this, but maybe she was wrong. Maybe she had been wrong about everything. She just didn't know what to believe anymore.

"What's going on?" Eve mocked, moving closer to the woman. "What's going on is that you're getting in our way. You've identified Samir and now you've run across him...how many times now?" This she shot a look towards the vampire, but wasn't expecting him to respond as she looked back to the elf. "You better start praying and fast. The only thing that's keeping me from popping off your little head is where we stand now. I wouldn't be sleeping alone if I were you."

 

[MissCellaFane]

Samir watched the scene unfold like one might watch a frightening stage act. Only this was real, and Eve was very much capable of doing exactly as she threatened. Samir swallowed. He had to get her out of here, away from Tristessa.....for both women's sakes.

Eve was directly in front of him now, but wasn't facing him. She was facing Tristessa, her eyes positively spitting sparks. In a way it unnerved him, but he was also kind of glad she was mad at Tristessa and not at him. If he could remain on her side, he might be able to get them all out of this without any bloodshed. He reached for her elbow. "Eve, let's go." He said softly, hoping to coax her away, but doubting it would work. "Let's just go." He glanced at Tristessa and then looked back at Eve. "She won't be a problem."

 

[CJF]

Trista wasn't sure what to do, or say...or think. What was going on? Who was this, Eve? Why did she appear so jealous? How was she connected to Brennan? Well, strictly speaking she was conncected to Samir, but in Trista's mind they were one and the same. She looked at Samir as he began to urge Eve away. It was obvious the woman fully intended to harm her. Why? What had she gotten in the way of? "She won't be a problem." Samir said. What did he mean, a problem? This wasn't happening. If they left, how did she know that she'd ever see him again? Well, she didn't. She looked at Samir. "What do you mean, a problem?" She looked at Eve and then back to Samir. "Who is she?"

 

[Nella Fantasia]

Eve's head snapped to the side when Samir spoke. She viciously pulled her arm away from his outstretched hand. "She won't be a problem? Isn't that what you said the last time, Samir? Well, I don't see her disappearing do you?" Her blue eyes narrowed. "This time I'm going to make sure she does." And Eve had to do it. The woman had already heard too much. Who knew what she would say to the right authorities.

When the elf began questioning Samir, Eve glanced back at her. "I can speak for myself!" Don't question him, you wench! "And you don't need to know who I am. After all"-Eve smirked maliciously-"you won't be alive long enough for it to matter."