More of the story of dooom...
Jul. 10th, 2006 05:51 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
arabwelher e ya go; more ÄMM. i am being less ev0l today than usually,t herefore, you get this now instead of having to wait an age for the cliffhanger's next part :D
Anna trembled as his arms came around him, pulling her snug against his armoured body. His claws caught her face, tilting her face up and she gasped at the look in his eyes, both tender and terrible as he leaned forward, his hair falling down around them.
“Am I your princess?”
”Yes... you are my princess,” he growled, baring his fangs.
Anna felt her entire body grow hot, a slow, steady throb starting in the pit of her stomach as her neck tingled in a way that sent a wicked shiver down her spine and she licked her lips.
It was as if he took it as an invitation; his razor claws tangled into her hair as he bent his head, his rough lips touching hers ooh-so-very gently…
“Miss Anna?”
The voice was loud enough to startle Anna awake, but as her eyes flew open she could still feel strong arms around her body and her lips tingled, like if only she closed her eyes she could have it again…
“Miss Anna!” this time the voice was more insistent, and a hand grasped her by the shoulder, shaking her into awareness. The dream was driven away as her hazy eyes opened and fastened onto Ruusa’s face.
”What is it? “ she murmured.
”You should get up, miss, and get dressed!” Ruusa said promptly. It is early but Pastor Belan wants to talk to you and he will have to leave soon.”
Anna blinked. Viktor wanted to talk to her?
”Okay,” she murmured and pushed the covers aside.
With Ruusa’s help it did not take her long to get dressed; when she was done, Ruusa left her alone, promising to bring her something to break her fast with.
Viktor waited her in the small sitting room. “Anna. I regret having to wake you this early, but...”
”It’s okay, Viktor, Anna said soothingly. “I don’t mind.”
She winced a little; that was a lie. She had wanted for that dream to continue so very badly... she wanted Lordi to kiss her again…
Viktor apparently noted her blush. “Anna? Are you feeling well? If you’re unwell this can wait till Sunday…”
”I am!” Anna exclaimed, flushing a little more. “Why did you want to see me?”
Viktor frowned, gesturing towards the chairs. “Sit down.”
Anna raised an eyebrow. Why was he looking at her like that?
She sat down, folding her hands in her lap. “”What is it?”
”Anna…” Viktor bit his lip, his brown eyes full of something Anna could not place. “Last night, your father told me that he has found you a husband.”
Anna blinked. She couldn’t have heard him right! “Excuse me?”
That was my reaction as well,” Viktor said, biting his lip. “But your father has decided to betroth you to a young man by the name of Gustav Nótt.”
“But I don’t want to get married!” Anna exclaimed, disbelief still welling up in her. Papa couldn’t have done that!
“Your father believes it is in your best interests,” Viktor said quietly, reaching out to take Anna’s hand in his. “He thinks that it is or your own good.”
”It’s not!” Anna cried out, squeezing her eyes shut against the tears that had appeared. “It’s not for my good, I do not want to marry someone! Why does he think it is good for me? Why?”
“He believes that you need a husband, someone to... keep you safe,” Viktor said quietly, squeezing her hand again.
Anna raised her head, sniffling, and looked him in the eye. “If he just wants to keep me safe,” she choked, “Then why couldn’t he have betrothed me to... to you?”
Viktor’s eyes widened at her words. “I don’t know but I think that would have been a very bad idea, since I do not wish to die. Even though he knows I would never hurt you…”
Anan’s eyes widened. She knew that the “he“ Viktor meant was not her father. There was something in the tone of his voice that made it implicitly clear just who it was.
“H.. how?” she squeaked, her anguish at the idea of being betrothed momentarily replaced by confusion. How could he have known of her friend?
Viktor blinked, and Anna realized he might not have meant to say as much as he had. “I… I was confronted by him once, not too long after I started tutoring you,” he said slowly. ”I know he cares for you very much and wished to make sure I was not someone like my predecessor..”
Anna was proud of herself for not shuddering at the memory of Pastors Mullander. “He never told me,” she said quietly.
”I am sure he did not wish to distress you, Anna,” Viktor said gently. “I know he cares much for you, all your friends do… I know you have been in good hands during your trips to the woods.”
”How do you know that, if he only confronted you once?”
Viktor gave her a small smile. “I only confronted him once... but I have had the pleasure of spending quite a few evenings over a game of chess with Ox.”
When Viktor eventually left her, Anna’s tears had been dried by his handkerchief and he had held her for a long time as she cried. But he had told her that he would do his best to make her father change his mind, and that he believed everything would be all right.
Anna prayed it would be so.
**
If he’d still had eyebrows, Amen would have raised them as Ox thundered out of the priest’s house less than half an hour after he had entered, before amen had even picked out his chosen prey for the night.
”What happened?” Amen called out, “Did he finally get tired of your yammering and throw you out?”
”Hardly,” Ox snorted, his green eyes blazing. “There’s trouble.”
Amen smirked. “There always is. What is it?”
”The little’s father has promised her hand to some fool of a mortal.”
The words froze Amen mid-grin. “Damn.”
”Not to put too fine a point to it, yes.” Ox snorted.
Amen inhaled deeply through sis teeth. Of all the things that could have gone wrong, this was quite the worst possible. Lordi had it bad for the no longer so little girl, and the idea of someone else touching her…
”I pity the bears,” he said. “He’s going to tear the forest apart.”
Ox nodded. “Aye, that he will.”
Amen shook his head. It was clear to everyone else but Lordi that the little was no longer a girl but a woman – the mummy had been hard-pressed to not to do something very stupid himself a few times since she had bloomed.
It was one of the reasons he was accompanying Ox for his visits to the priest – while the bulltaur engaged in his pursuits, Amen engaged in seduction of willing women who would think it all but a dream when morning came. Warm, willing human flesh was, after all, something quite distracting.
Amen’s tongue flicked out in a habitual motion hat had not died in the past centuries despite the fact that he had long ago lost anything resembling lips. “Think he will go after her?”
Ox shook his head, his heavy mane swaying. “I do not know.”
Amen clucked his tongue. “He should.”
**
As it turned out, the role of the bearer of bad news would not fall upon Amen and Ox; Lordi found out differently.
He witnessed Anna telling Awa of just what her father had decreed, and the knowledge of such sheer impudence made Lordi livid beyond belief.
How dare that fool think he had any say in what would happen to his little Anna? She would not wed some fool of a boy, would certainly not leave his lands to go into someone else’s house… she would remain here till the end of days! No one would steal way his princess!
It was his quiet growl that alerted Anna to his presence; she lifted her head from where it had rested on Awa’s shoulder, her blue eyes going wide as she saw him.
At the sight of the tear-tracks on her face, Lordi was filled with fury; no one, no one would make his little Anna cry and not pay for it!
He watched Awa gently disentangle herself from Anna and rise to her feet, her ashen face full of worry as she tilted her head questioningly; Lordi gave her a curt nod and without a word, the sorceress left.
”Did you hear what I told her?” Anna asked, her voice barely a whisper as Lordi approached her.
His answer was another nod; just as curt as the one he’d given Awa.
Anan sniffed, biting her lip as she lowered her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t... I didn’t want to make you angry…”
Her words struck through the rage welling up within him; did she think he was angry at her?
He dropped down to one knee, his claws coming to gently cup her face and raise her eyes to meet his.
“You didn’t, princess,” he growler d softly. “I could never be angry with you. I am angry at that impudent little fool who thinks he can treat you like chattel!”
Anna bit her lip. ”Really?”
”Really,” Lordi nodded, pulling her into his arms. She was still so small and soft in his arms, even though she was a grown woman now… her head fit under his chin so very perfectly as she curled up against his chest.
He held her, his anger at the fool daring to think his Anna would ever be anything but his returned; it was a slow, gnawing beast that was turning his black heart into a raging inferno of unimaginable wrath. His eyes burned slow crimson as he raised his head, seeing Kita up in the trees.
Lordi growled, and as Anna raised her head, blinking, the hunter landed on the ground not ten feet from them.
”Kita,” Lordi growled. “Look after Anna.”
With that, he gently disengaged form her, settling her upon the fallen log and stroking her hair out of her face. “I must go,” he growled softly before he turned away from her and took off into the woods.
He needed to kill something.
Whatever beast would cross his path would die; the urge to rend into warm flesh, to feel bones crack under his hands and taste blood on his lips was too strong to ignore. He needed the kill, needed the satisfaction of tearing the heart out of his opponent’s chest with his bare hands…
Otherwise, he might turn back and prove Anna that she was his.
He shook his head, abolishing the thought; his nostrils flared as he scented the air, looking for prey.
Lordi found what he was looking for amidst a cove of firs; a huge bear, standing as tall as he did, tearing into a reindeer carcass.
He bared his fangs, growling a challenge; the beast raised its head, the yellow eyes flashing.
The fight was fast and bloody, and left Lordi with a bleeding gash across his forehead and teeth marks on the leather of his armour; the bear fared worse. He left it a mangled, bloody heap, his claws ad teeth tearing into it as he tore out its heart.
He did not care that the beast’s heart blood was still hot on his lips as he went in search of another kill.
**
Anna watched Lordi leave with wide eyes. “Where is he going?” she asked, her voice small.
”Hunt,” was Kita’s answer as he came to her, lying upon the ground next to her. Soon enough, the wolf cubs that followed him everywhere appeared, all three of them coming to surround Anna.
Anna couldn’t help but smile at the way the eager pups crowded around her, wagging their tails as if they were mere hounds and not fierce wolves. She reached out to scritch each one in turn.
The pups tussled for who could be under her fingers until Kita growled and they all backed off a little; Anna smiled, and reached out to scratch Kita’s ears.
“So, cub, what did you do to get him so worked up?” Kita grunted a question.
Anna fidgeted uncomfortably, biting her lip. “I… I told him that Papa betrothed me to someone.”
Kita tilted his head. “Your sire did what?”
Anna frowned, then the realization hit her; of course Kita wouldn’t know what a betrothal was! He always scoffed human customs, after all. “It means he... he promised that I would marry someone,” she said quietly.
Kita tilted his head again, giving her better access to his head. “You mean you’re supposed to mate with someone of his choosing?”
Anna blushed at his matter-of-fact words: she supposed that was right. After all, only married couples had babies… “Yes.”
Kita snorted. “Fool. He’s not alpha. Doesn’t have the authority.”
His words made her bite her lip. “Then who does?” she asked him.
Kita tilted his head, his black eyes boring into her; there was a look she associated with incredulousness on his alien features. “The alpha,” he snorted, tossing his head to indicate the direction Lordi had disappeared. “Who else? You’re pack.”
Anna blushed at his words. She remembered her dream, of being held in Lordi’s strong arms as he bent his head to kiss her… the feel of his chapped lips on hers, the way she had felt so very warm all over.
Her neck tingled, and she raised a hand to brush her hair away, . The tingling did not lessen, rather, it increased as her hand brushed against her skin and she shivered, suddenly feeling so very cold.
She knew Lordi was taking his anger out on the beasts of the forest; he must’ve been livid at the idea that someone was trying to usurp his authority that her father was doing something he saw as his right…
“Thinking about him?” Kita’s question interrupted her.
Anna nodded, blushing. “Y... yes.”
“You should. He’s the alpha. Its his right.”
Their conversation was interrupted by two of the wolf cubs starting to tussle, Anna could not help but giggle as Kita growled, his paw striking out to grab the larger pup by the scruff of the neck.
Nevertheless, Anna’s heart remained heavy as she made her way home.
***
Do hope you like :D
Anna trembled as his arms came around him, pulling her snug against his armoured body. His claws caught her face, tilting her face up and she gasped at the look in his eyes, both tender and terrible as he leaned forward, his hair falling down around them.
“Am I your princess?”
”Yes... you are my princess,” he growled, baring his fangs.
Anna felt her entire body grow hot, a slow, steady throb starting in the pit of her stomach as her neck tingled in a way that sent a wicked shiver down her spine and she licked her lips.
It was as if he took it as an invitation; his razor claws tangled into her hair as he bent his head, his rough lips touching hers ooh-so-very gently…
“Miss Anna?”
The voice was loud enough to startle Anna awake, but as her eyes flew open she could still feel strong arms around her body and her lips tingled, like if only she closed her eyes she could have it again…
“Miss Anna!” this time the voice was more insistent, and a hand grasped her by the shoulder, shaking her into awareness. The dream was driven away as her hazy eyes opened and fastened onto Ruusa’s face.
”What is it? “ she murmured.
”You should get up, miss, and get dressed!” Ruusa said promptly. It is early but Pastor Belan wants to talk to you and he will have to leave soon.”
Anna blinked. Viktor wanted to talk to her?
”Okay,” she murmured and pushed the covers aside.
With Ruusa’s help it did not take her long to get dressed; when she was done, Ruusa left her alone, promising to bring her something to break her fast with.
Viktor waited her in the small sitting room. “Anna. I regret having to wake you this early, but...”
”It’s okay, Viktor, Anna said soothingly. “I don’t mind.”
She winced a little; that was a lie. She had wanted for that dream to continue so very badly... she wanted Lordi to kiss her again…
Viktor apparently noted her blush. “Anna? Are you feeling well? If you’re unwell this can wait till Sunday…”
”I am!” Anna exclaimed, flushing a little more. “Why did you want to see me?”
Viktor frowned, gesturing towards the chairs. “Sit down.”
Anna raised an eyebrow. Why was he looking at her like that?
She sat down, folding her hands in her lap. “”What is it?”
”Anna…” Viktor bit his lip, his brown eyes full of something Anna could not place. “Last night, your father told me that he has found you a husband.”
Anna blinked. She couldn’t have heard him right! “Excuse me?”
That was my reaction as well,” Viktor said, biting his lip. “But your father has decided to betroth you to a young man by the name of Gustav Nótt.”
“But I don’t want to get married!” Anna exclaimed, disbelief still welling up in her. Papa couldn’t have done that!
“Your father believes it is in your best interests,” Viktor said quietly, reaching out to take Anna’s hand in his. “He thinks that it is or your own good.”
”It’s not!” Anna cried out, squeezing her eyes shut against the tears that had appeared. “It’s not for my good, I do not want to marry someone! Why does he think it is good for me? Why?”
“He believes that you need a husband, someone to... keep you safe,” Viktor said quietly, squeezing her hand again.
Anna raised her head, sniffling, and looked him in the eye. “If he just wants to keep me safe,” she choked, “Then why couldn’t he have betrothed me to... to you?”
Viktor’s eyes widened at her words. “I don’t know but I think that would have been a very bad idea, since I do not wish to die. Even though he knows I would never hurt you…”
Anan’s eyes widened. She knew that the “he“ Viktor meant was not her father. There was something in the tone of his voice that made it implicitly clear just who it was.
“H.. how?” she squeaked, her anguish at the idea of being betrothed momentarily replaced by confusion. How could he have known of her friend?
Viktor blinked, and Anna realized he might not have meant to say as much as he had. “I… I was confronted by him once, not too long after I started tutoring you,” he said slowly. ”I know he cares for you very much and wished to make sure I was not someone like my predecessor..”
Anna was proud of herself for not shuddering at the memory of Pastors Mullander. “He never told me,” she said quietly.
”I am sure he did not wish to distress you, Anna,” Viktor said gently. “I know he cares much for you, all your friends do… I know you have been in good hands during your trips to the woods.”
”How do you know that, if he only confronted you once?”
Viktor gave her a small smile. “I only confronted him once... but I have had the pleasure of spending quite a few evenings over a game of chess with Ox.”
When Viktor eventually left her, Anna’s tears had been dried by his handkerchief and he had held her for a long time as she cried. But he had told her that he would do his best to make her father change his mind, and that he believed everything would be all right.
Anna prayed it would be so.
**
If he’d still had eyebrows, Amen would have raised them as Ox thundered out of the priest’s house less than half an hour after he had entered, before amen had even picked out his chosen prey for the night.
”What happened?” Amen called out, “Did he finally get tired of your yammering and throw you out?”
”Hardly,” Ox snorted, his green eyes blazing. “There’s trouble.”
Amen smirked. “There always is. What is it?”
”The little’s father has promised her hand to some fool of a mortal.”
The words froze Amen mid-grin. “Damn.”
”Not to put too fine a point to it, yes.” Ox snorted.
Amen inhaled deeply through sis teeth. Of all the things that could have gone wrong, this was quite the worst possible. Lordi had it bad for the no longer so little girl, and the idea of someone else touching her…
”I pity the bears,” he said. “He’s going to tear the forest apart.”
Ox nodded. “Aye, that he will.”
Amen shook his head. It was clear to everyone else but Lordi that the little was no longer a girl but a woman – the mummy had been hard-pressed to not to do something very stupid himself a few times since she had bloomed.
It was one of the reasons he was accompanying Ox for his visits to the priest – while the bulltaur engaged in his pursuits, Amen engaged in seduction of willing women who would think it all but a dream when morning came. Warm, willing human flesh was, after all, something quite distracting.
Amen’s tongue flicked out in a habitual motion hat had not died in the past centuries despite the fact that he had long ago lost anything resembling lips. “Think he will go after her?”
Ox shook his head, his heavy mane swaying. “I do not know.”
Amen clucked his tongue. “He should.”
**
As it turned out, the role of the bearer of bad news would not fall upon Amen and Ox; Lordi found out differently.
He witnessed Anna telling Awa of just what her father had decreed, and the knowledge of such sheer impudence made Lordi livid beyond belief.
How dare that fool think he had any say in what would happen to his little Anna? She would not wed some fool of a boy, would certainly not leave his lands to go into someone else’s house… she would remain here till the end of days! No one would steal way his princess!
It was his quiet growl that alerted Anna to his presence; she lifted her head from where it had rested on Awa’s shoulder, her blue eyes going wide as she saw him.
At the sight of the tear-tracks on her face, Lordi was filled with fury; no one, no one would make his little Anna cry and not pay for it!
He watched Awa gently disentangle herself from Anna and rise to her feet, her ashen face full of worry as she tilted her head questioningly; Lordi gave her a curt nod and without a word, the sorceress left.
”Did you hear what I told her?” Anna asked, her voice barely a whisper as Lordi approached her.
His answer was another nod; just as curt as the one he’d given Awa.
Anan sniffed, biting her lip as she lowered her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t... I didn’t want to make you angry…”
Her words struck through the rage welling up within him; did she think he was angry at her?
He dropped down to one knee, his claws coming to gently cup her face and raise her eyes to meet his.
“You didn’t, princess,” he growler d softly. “I could never be angry with you. I am angry at that impudent little fool who thinks he can treat you like chattel!”
Anna bit her lip. ”Really?”
”Really,” Lordi nodded, pulling her into his arms. She was still so small and soft in his arms, even though she was a grown woman now… her head fit under his chin so very perfectly as she curled up against his chest.
He held her, his anger at the fool daring to think his Anna would ever be anything but his returned; it was a slow, gnawing beast that was turning his black heart into a raging inferno of unimaginable wrath. His eyes burned slow crimson as he raised his head, seeing Kita up in the trees.
Lordi growled, and as Anna raised her head, blinking, the hunter landed on the ground not ten feet from them.
”Kita,” Lordi growled. “Look after Anna.”
With that, he gently disengaged form her, settling her upon the fallen log and stroking her hair out of her face. “I must go,” he growled softly before he turned away from her and took off into the woods.
He needed to kill something.
Whatever beast would cross his path would die; the urge to rend into warm flesh, to feel bones crack under his hands and taste blood on his lips was too strong to ignore. He needed the kill, needed the satisfaction of tearing the heart out of his opponent’s chest with his bare hands…
Otherwise, he might turn back and prove Anna that she was his.
He shook his head, abolishing the thought; his nostrils flared as he scented the air, looking for prey.
Lordi found what he was looking for amidst a cove of firs; a huge bear, standing as tall as he did, tearing into a reindeer carcass.
He bared his fangs, growling a challenge; the beast raised its head, the yellow eyes flashing.
The fight was fast and bloody, and left Lordi with a bleeding gash across his forehead and teeth marks on the leather of his armour; the bear fared worse. He left it a mangled, bloody heap, his claws ad teeth tearing into it as he tore out its heart.
He did not care that the beast’s heart blood was still hot on his lips as he went in search of another kill.
**
Anna watched Lordi leave with wide eyes. “Where is he going?” she asked, her voice small.
”Hunt,” was Kita’s answer as he came to her, lying upon the ground next to her. Soon enough, the wolf cubs that followed him everywhere appeared, all three of them coming to surround Anna.
Anna couldn’t help but smile at the way the eager pups crowded around her, wagging their tails as if they were mere hounds and not fierce wolves. She reached out to scritch each one in turn.
The pups tussled for who could be under her fingers until Kita growled and they all backed off a little; Anna smiled, and reached out to scratch Kita’s ears.
“So, cub, what did you do to get him so worked up?” Kita grunted a question.
Anna fidgeted uncomfortably, biting her lip. “I… I told him that Papa betrothed me to someone.”
Kita tilted his head. “Your sire did what?”
Anna frowned, then the realization hit her; of course Kita wouldn’t know what a betrothal was! He always scoffed human customs, after all. “It means he... he promised that I would marry someone,” she said quietly.
Kita tilted his head again, giving her better access to his head. “You mean you’re supposed to mate with someone of his choosing?”
Anna blushed at his matter-of-fact words: she supposed that was right. After all, only married couples had babies… “Yes.”
Kita snorted. “Fool. He’s not alpha. Doesn’t have the authority.”
His words made her bite her lip. “Then who does?” she asked him.
Kita tilted his head, his black eyes boring into her; there was a look she associated with incredulousness on his alien features. “The alpha,” he snorted, tossing his head to indicate the direction Lordi had disappeared. “Who else? You’re pack.”
Anna blushed at his words. She remembered her dream, of being held in Lordi’s strong arms as he bent his head to kiss her… the feel of his chapped lips on hers, the way she had felt so very warm all over.
Her neck tingled, and she raised a hand to brush her hair away, . The tingling did not lessen, rather, it increased as her hand brushed against her skin and she shivered, suddenly feeling so very cold.
She knew Lordi was taking his anger out on the beasts of the forest; he must’ve been livid at the idea that someone was trying to usurp his authority that her father was doing something he saw as his right…
“Thinking about him?” Kita’s question interrupted her.
Anna nodded, blushing. “Y... yes.”
“You should. He’s the alpha. Its his right.”
Their conversation was interrupted by two of the wolf cubs starting to tussle, Anna could not help but giggle as Kita growled, his paw striking out to grab the larger pup by the scruff of the neck.
Nevertheless, Anna’s heart remained heavy as she made her way home.
***
Do hope you like :D
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Date: 2006-07-10 12:33 pm (UTC)I love the way *everybody* else knows what's going on...except Lordi and Anna. *Waits happily for the next chapter*
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Date: 2006-07-10 03:23 pm (UTC)GHeee, am glad that you like that. I was afraid it would come off as to cliched but I figured that the general denial Lordi is mired in and Anna's general naivete/innocence would make it plausible :)