Beyblade Fan Fiction ❯ Silent Nights ❯ Q & A ( Chapter 9 )

I stood in the bathroom silently staring at myself in the mirror. It had taken a few minutes of struggling to get the skirt of the dress out of the way and my underwear on, but I had succeeded. Now I had to tackle the obstacle that was my hair. It had already started to frizz from being down and exposed to the air for so long.

 

“Should I keep it blonde or go all natural?” I asked myself as I lifted a lock of hair in front of my face and inspected the color of the strand. “If I change it everyone will know I am from the Royal Bloodline of my empire… If I leave it everyone will know I was the woman taken from the dungeons… Choices, choices.” I continued as I threw the lock back over my shoulder. I tapped my chin lightly with my index finger as I pondered the effect I wanted to have on my peers during the meeting.

 

“To be or not to be, that is the question!” I quoted with a small laugh. Sighing I ran my hand through the hair on the right side of my head, whipping away the spell woven into it. As I passed my hand through the damp strands shimmering white appeared and a glimmer of yellowish light lofted around my hand like sun stricken clouds. By the time my hand had passed through all my hair I was a half and half cookie. The left side of my head was platinum blonde and the right was pure white. I turned my head from side to side, comparing the length and color to each side.

 

A sudden gasp brought my eyes away from the mirror and too Tala who stood in the door way of the bath room. I quickly ran my hand back through my hair to return it to its platinum blonde coloring. My hand tingled numbly as I smiled innocently up at him. It took me a second to notice that he wasn't looking at my hair, but at my body, mostly the dress. I knew for a fact my body wouldn't willingly take this shape without this damned corset, but he didn't seem to realize that. I sighed in relief. He hadn't noticed my two toned hair. Thank god.

 

“Yes?” I asked after a moment. It was awkward standing there with his eyes wandering my bodice freely. His eyes drew away from my body and up to my face. His eyes grew even wider then they had been when he first entered the room. “What?”

 

“Your hair, it's…” His words trailed off. I glanced over to the mirror. My jaw nearly fell off at what I saw. In the rush had run my hand through the wrong side of my head when he came in making the left side of my head a dirty blonde and a good few inches shorter. I quickly settled with going white and stripped the left side of my head of color making my left hand go numb as well.

 

“Sorry `bout that.” I mumbled with embarrassment.

 

“That is your natural color?” He asked suddenly. I hadn't expected him to ask so I nodded in response instead of explaining. He took three strides towards me, closing the gap almost completely between us. I stood my ground though I didn't move mostly because of shock. He lightly touched the side of my head with his hand and slowly ran it down the length of my hair. I stood frozen looking up into his eyes. He was a good seven inches taller than me so I had to crane my head nearly all the way back to keep his eyes in sight.

 

“Does my hair please you so much?” I asked. It wasn't normal for a man to walk up to someone and start stroking their hair. I felt just slightly weirded out, but didn't pull away. It was amazing how much confidence a few layers of cloth gave you.

 

“I wasn't completely sure that you were my Renee, but now there is no doubt in my mind.” His eyes seemed to gleam with triumph, but I wasn't sure what he had triumphed over; me or his own doubts.

 

“I'm not your Renee, I'm just Renee.” I stated. It wasn't that big of a deal to me that he called me his, but I didn't want to have to hear it more than once.

 

“My apologies, Princess Renee” He said, suddenly becoming a gentleman. His hand dropped from where it had stopped in mid stroke of my hair, but we remained close, nearly touching in fact.

 

“Where did you run off too?” I asked out of the blue. I was very curious. His face seemed to drop, his smile replaced by a flat line.

 

“A meeting is going to be held soon. Your sister will be there.” He avoided my question, but his words were equally interesting.

 

“Is that an invitation?” I asked hopefully.

 

“If you want to go it is an invitation.” He almost sounded like he was apologizing ahead of time for something, like he regretted his words.

 

I gradually nodded my head. Going to this meeting meant that I was to be introduced to everyone as the Princess. Without my powers I could easily be proven a liar and executed on the spot. Rolling my options around on my tongue I finally formed a quick plan to avoid any complications. “Of course I want to go, but may I ask a favor of you?”

 

“What is it?” He seemed to perk up a little bit at hearing I wanted to participate.

 

“Are you allowed to travel to the human world freely?” I pleaded with my eyes, wishing that he would say yes.

 

“Yes, why do you ask?”

 

“There is a small locket in my jewelry box at home in my closet. After this meeting could you go and get it for me?”

 

“Why do you need it?” I tipped my head to the side like a curious puppy and tried to put its importance into context. After a moment I came up with a good answer.

 

“You know how I seem just like a human too you? How you couldn't tell I was a demon until I gave you my name?” I looked at him quizzically. I wasn't sure if my assumption of my seeming completely human was correct. He nodded.

 

“That locket has my… demonic essence held within it. Without it no one will believe I am the Princess. I'm as good as human.” He looked me over once assessing if I was speaking the truth. My hands were clenched tightly at my sides. I hated asking for help, it made me feel so useless.

 

His hand lightly brushed up my arm and traced up to my neck where it paused over my pulse. I shuddered under his touch and placed my own hand over his. I couldn't help but to look away from his eyes. My response to his touch wasn't what I had wanted to happen.

 

Unexpectedly I found myself wrapped up in his arms. Some how I had been turned around without knowing it and his arms had wrapped around me, securing my back to his abdomen. His chin pressed against the top of my head as he sighed into my hair.

 

“I will do as you ask, but only if you remain in this room when I go. Until it is common knowledge that you are my queen and bride I cannot promise your safety when I am away. Even when your powers are returned to you, you will not be safe. I cannot risk loosing you again.” His embrace was firm and warm. If it wasn't for the corset keeping me together I would have fallen into his arms like a rag doll. His concern made me wonder just how much my disappearance had affected him. I knew it wasn't a big deal, but I had to correct one little error in his speech.

 

“Bride? I'm sorry, but I couldn't be that. Not now.” I shook my head under his chin. I could tell my words had hurt him. His breathing became steady like he trying to make himself seem unaffected, but I could still tell.

 

“You are still my betrothed. I haven't taken another woman to wed in your dearth. I never believed you to be dead like everyone else did. I knew you would return one way or another.” His embraced tightened slightly, but I didn't mind. It amazed me that he had waited for me to come back. I had had no intention of going back to my kingdom. Sure, every now and then a thought crossed my mind, but I knew my duty was to Alli.

 

“We'll see about that.” I whispered under my breath. I couldn't tell if he heard or not but I didn't much care. Lady Mariah had said that this Dark Lord figure had killed my parents. I didn't much believe her, but since I hadn't actually seen the killing blow to either of them I had reason to doubt my own logic. All I remembered was seeing a 16 year-old Tala standing over my dead father's body. What should I have thought? Oh, my power hungry fiancé just happened to arrive after someone else killed my father. Yeah right.

 

“I don't mean to force you,” Apparently he had been talking while I debated with myself. “But my parents won't allow you to go back on the deal between our families.”

 

Sadly he was right. I could not deny the deal between our families. Their words were honored as law in both our lands.

 

“Is it true? Do you rule my kingdom as my husband?” In order to claim the title of King you had to marry a woman of royal blood.

 

“Not as your husband but as your intended. We never were wed after all.” He seemed so gloomy that I almost felt bad about asking him. But I had to know what was going on in this world. So much had happened in the past few hours that my brain was running full tilt and tiring fast.

 

“True…” I let my voice fade out as I leaned into his chest and tried to relax. So there were things I didn't understand in this world. I could learn and I could wait. Alli was at the top of my to save list. I would have to be political and proper if I wanted to get her out of harms way. Perhaps if I could seal her powers away into myself she would be regarded as a human and be allowed to go back to the human world with her memory whipped clean. Then again sealing powers away took days of chanting spells and incantations. I wouldn't have enough time. Maybe I could use the little magic I had from revealing my hair to force her into unconsciousness. That could work. Hopefully it would give me enough time to prepare. “When does the meeting start?”

 

“We can leave now, if you would like.” I nodded my head but before he could release me I spun in his arms and rested my forehead lightly against his shoulder. My arms were pinned between us to keep our bodies from touching. He seemed surprised by my actions, but held me tightly.

 

“My mom and dad…” I swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in my throat. I wanted to ask him if he killed my parents. For all these years I had believed it was him, but now my curiosity was eating away at me. Did he kill my parents? Did he really come after me? Did I really believe that the man I had loved was my own personal nightmare? “Did… Did you kill them?”