Chapter NINE CONTINUES....

Ok, first of all, I have to say, that this site is far superior to fanfiction.net for writing. It auto saves!! What a brilliant idea! Why is it that ff.net, a site that is designed to function as a writing/story site cannot auto save?? Worse yet, even if you have two browser windows up with fanfiction.net in them, and you click on a link in one, it changes the screen on the other - and you lose everything you just spent hours, trying to write!!! GAH!

Ok - OFF RANT. Obviously, I'm still a tad bitter, but, I will work through that, and I'm sure if it were meant to be posted, it would still be there and all that jazz, blah blah blah - it probably stunk, anyway.

So, here's my latest venture into the lives of my characters. This one is in Evan's point of view. I'm still learning, so if you notice any punctuation errors, writing errors, if it's unbelievable and makes no sense and sounds like a 6th grader wrote it (no offense to 6th graders), then that's why. Also, the words, punctuation or phrases that are highlighted in red, are areas that I'm uncertain of, and probably got wrong. :) Learning is fun, though.

So thanks for reading as I take my little journer into "Less Awkward Land."

The sun slowly set, teasing the plants and trees below with small splotches of light, before it disappeared completely behind thick curtains of grey clouds. Evan scowled at the sun, or more precisely, in the direction that the sun should be. He'd spent these past ten years in darkness, and though he was free for a short time, the sun still eluded him.

Evening came quickly, and with it, the unavoidable darkness. It loomed over him like a black cloud, but he was used to it. My only companion, he thought ruefully. If he'd learned anything during this venture, it was that there was only one truth: No matter how far he ran, the darkness would always find him; it would always win. But he refused to let it claim Celia, as well.

He walked back to the palace as quickly as his tired legs and feet would carry him, easily side-stepping the rocks and debris that littered his path. At least he could say he'd learned something useful from living in darkness: Most who tried to walk through this forest would be lame by the time they emerged on the other side.

Clouds parted and the stingy moon spared even less light than it's daily counterpart, barely sparing enough light to illuminate the tall, stoic building that loomed before him. Now past the thick fringe of trees that completely framed the North side of the castle, Evan quickened his pace. He could barely make out the black drapes that covered all of the windows, as the occupants prepared for a time of mourning.

The black shrouds that covered the castle windows and also it's people was a farce. Most of the staff and townspeople were not mourning the Queen's death, but rejoicing in it. He had been asked to attend one of several celebrations that were held this night to celebrate the parting of the Queen and the new reign of the Prince Regent. Evan had declined He had no wish to mourn or celebrate past or present matriarchs. His fealty was only to one commoner - and in sixty three more steps, he would be outside her door.

Everett's resonated over again in his ears, as he reached out a shaking hand toward the large palace gate:

"Why don't you just marry the girl?"

He shook his head to rid himself from the words, scattering drops of water in every direction in the process. There was no future for her if he allowed such thoughts into his head. He would not damn her.

He took several deep breaths then pulled on the heavy gate and cringed at the loud screeching sounds it made as he wrenched it open. Sure he'd woken everyone in the place, he walked cautiously through to the other side and stood silent for a moment, listening for any sounds of stirring. The only noises that resonated through the large hall were the sounds of heavy drops falling from his clothes onto the stone floor - and snoring.

Evan glanced beside him and found the guilty party; a knight, clad in head to toe armor sat beside the heavy oak door, his legs dangling from the tall stool in which he sat. The man's head looked to be laying completely sideways, on his own shoulder, where a puddle of drool was quickly collecting. Rust had formed in that one particular spot on his armor, proof that this was not the first time this derelict servant of the crown had taken his nightly nap. Evan shook his head; incredulous, and laughed softly to himself. Eldon had been free of conflict for so long, he doubted they could win a boxing match, much less a battle.

He watched as the knights head lolled even further forward and the rest of his body silently followed, the dangerous tilt and his heavy armor threatening to topple him to the stone floor. Evan quickly rushed forward and slowly pushed the man backward until his head and body fell back gently against the wall.

Something solid fell to the floor and rolled several times before Evan could reach down to grasp it. He shook his head for the second time that night as he examined the empty bottle in his hand. He returned it to it's hiding place. Perhaps he was too generous when he assumed that they could win any sort of physical match at all. Still, he couldn't fault the man; he envied the man his peaceful sleep.

She was also sleeping. Fragments of feelings drifted around him, growing stronger, the closer he came to her closed bedroom door. They faded in and out, changing from one emotion to another; too quickly for him to latch onto any particular one; taunting him - much like the cursed sun. Like Celia, herself. They were both beyond his reach. They both eluded him.

He climbed the stone steps three at a time and stopped when he reached the heavy wooden door that separated him from the sleeping angel on the other side. It was very fitting; that door. It was much like the chasm that stood between himself and his Celie.

No, he thought, sadly. Never my Celie. Don't even think it.

His hand reached out for the heavy rough wood of the door, each small movement bringing him closer to those drifting illusions that for a brief moment in time, took him back to that one small moment in his life when he felt whole: loved. A sliver of white flashed in the corner of his eyes and for a split second, he was lost, his hand suspended in mid-air still reached for her door.

"She's sleeping now. You can speak with her, later."

Startled, he dropped his hand and whirled to meet the whispered voice that had disturbed his one peaceful memory.

Dark eyes that displayed far too much glee, looked up at him. He recognized the girl, but never thought to ask her name; at the time he had been more concerned about Celia's welfare; and the proximity of the walls to each other had not helped his thought processes. He remembered that she'd been kind, though. He really should have thanked her; it was rare for a human to befriend one of their kind: At least, in his estimation.

"Would you like something to eat?", she asked softly.

A small smile formed at the corners of her mouth and he felt suddenly self-conscious. Surely, it was evident to all who looked upon him, that he was malnourished. The workers here, were not underfed: quite the opposite. A few of the stable hands were too heavy to even be lifted on to a horse, but he was never able to eat much, especially with the dread of impending doom looming over his head; over her head. His loose clothes, however, hid nothing and he could not remember the last time he'd eaten; or slept. So despite the urge to refuse and scowl at Emma's offer, he swallowed his pride and simply said, (unsure of punctuation & it seems off, but I can't say why.)

"Yes. Thank you"

Emma did not miss his backward glance as he followed her toward the large stone staircase.

"She'll be fine", she remarked quietly; It wasn't the statement that unnerved him, but the way in which she said it. Her countenance and bearings showed a sense of pride and confidence that did not usually come from one who spent their life serving others.

He followed her through the dark stair and into the large, main hall. The humming snores of the guard greeted them as they reached the bottom of the steps, and echoed faintly from the walls.

They reached the entrance to the kitchen; Emma opened the door and motioned for him to follow. Heat and smoke hit him fully in the face and made his stomach churn. Just the thought of being in the small, stuffy room made him feel ill and he stepped back reflexively, paying no heed to the curious glances of the servants inside. He turned on his heel and quickly walked in the opposite direction, ready to run back up the steps, suddenly needing to be near her again.

"Where are you going?" Emma whispered loudly from the kitchen door.

"I'm suddenly not hungry." he answered sharply. It was true. The last thing he wanted at the moment was food.

But in honesty, he could not have the thing he wanted most. And it was too late for childish longings, as he reminded himself once again that that Celie no longer existed. That part of his past, would never be his future. He was very nearly wallowing in self-pity and hating himself for it; when Emma's words halted his next step.

"I've forgotten. You don't like small spaces. We can sit in the dining hall, if you'd prefer it."

He whirled around and stared, mouth agape, at the servant girl; who should nothing of him, other than his name. No one knew of his fear: not even Celia.

"What did you say?" his voice was hoarse.

"Evan. Come sit. I know that you haven't eaten since you carried Celia in here this morning, and you probably did not eat the previous day, either."

He turned to face her, and saw once again, the small smirk forming at the corners of her mouth. A shiver traveled down his spine and he tried to hide it as he glared at the girl with curly brown hair, who knew far more than she should.

"And what else do you know?" he asked slowly, cautiously; unsure if he truly wanted an answer to his question.

He instinctively began to search out her emotions from all the colors that filtered through his vision. There seemed to be no hostility or anger about her. He could only assume that his first reaction to this woman had been correct; she was kind, but this gift was not and exact Science; and he'd been wrong before...

Colors suddenly changed and morphed, turning everything in his vision into a murky pool of odd shades that blended into each other: black, white, red, green, grey, and then the colors that had no names, the ones he could only describe as...confusion... How was it possible for this one person to feel everything at once? He'd seen emotions change quickly, but he had never witnessed anything like this. There were so many, that it was impossible now, to point them out. It was absolutely confusion.

"Are you finished?" she asked, a smug expression on her face.

"What?"

"Are you finished trying to "see" me or whatever it is you call it?"

He stopped breathing.

"How can you know about that?"

"I know a lot of things." The smirk was suddenly gone and he saw sadness in her eyes. He realized that his gift was useless as far as this Emma was concerned. He didn't like it. It was becoming far too frequent, these lapses. First, Phillip, and now Emma. "If you are still hungry, I have a plate made for you. Follow me."

She led him to the large oak dining table that stood centerpiece in the dimly lit hall. The only light that shone in the room was from three small sconces that hung on one side of the wall. The light from the flickering flames bounced off the walls and cast an eerie glow on the dingy grey stones that made up the entire castle. It was grim and dark and matched his mood perfectly.

"I'm not hungry. Tell me what you know - now." He took a step closer, hoping that since asking directly hadn't worked, he could intimidate her into speaking.

She fought back a laugh.

"Evan, honestly. I don't think you could even frighten a small child. I can't fathom how you were able to carry Celia... although... I think I do know. She needed you, didn't she?"

"Who are you?", he demanded, though the question didn't come out nearly as strong as he had wanted it to. His voice cracked and gave him away.

"I'm the one who is going to make you," she said with a very large genuine smile, and said softly, "Sit down and eat something before you fall down. You won't be of any use to her if you're dead."

He scowled and stood, unmoving, uncertain of what to do next; and plotting ways that he could remove Celia from this woman before she had the chance to harm her - if that was her intention.

She rolled her eyes. "I realize that you are a man, and therefore, very stubborn, but you will not get a single word from me until you sit down and eat."

He didn't move.

"Evan, I am not here to cause either of you harm." Her eyes pleaded with him and the sadness returned to them as she spoke. It engulfed every murky color in his vision, until it was all that he could see. He immediately felt sorry for the girl. Whatever pain she was carrying was plain on her face. He could have seen the sorrow, even without his gift. And he believed her.

Emma had placed the plate full of steaming food at the head of the table, the seat that was reserved for the matriarch of the palace. He looked at her incredulously; his eyes never left hers as he pushed the plate over to one side and sat in one of the less important chairs.

Emma shrugged her shoulders and sat across from him.

Being away from the encroaching walls of the kitchen, made the food much more appealing and the aromas assaulting his senses reminded him that it had, in fact, been far too long between meals.

Food, however, was his least concern. His stomach grumbled in protest to his stubbornness. Emma sat directly across from him, her smirk returned, as she folded her hands under her chin, place her elbows on the table and waited for him to concede.

"Talk," he ordered.

"Eat."

He made no move to obey her softly spoken command. She rolled her eyes at him.

"You are stubborn, aren't you? I knew you would be, but really Evan, this is ridiculous. I already told you that I would tell you what I know. This tantrum is not going to help you in the slightest."

"Tantrum!"

He was tempted to get up and walk away, but the food on his plate was holding him captive in his seat. and the action would probably make him look as though he was, in fact, throwing a tantrum.

"Eat. She'll be asleep for the rest of the night. She'll be fine. Eat now or you won't get another chance."

"How do you know.."

"Eat!"

He glowered at her, but silently obeyed, forcefully putting a fork full of potatoes in his mouth. He knew he resembled a stubborn toddler, refusing to eat what was put before him, but he didn't care.

Then his hunger soon won out his need to listen. Before he'd realized it, he had eaten every last crumb on his plate. He glanced up at Emma, feeling slightly embarrassed - and angry that he had lost the ridiculous battle.

"Talk!" he ordered.

She sighed. "Would you like some more?" He shook his head, no, but she ignored him and picked up his plate, returning a few minutes later with more food.

"You shouldn't eat so much after not having food for so long, but it will keep you silent while I talk... Just eat slowly." He obeyed silently, slowly shoveling in fork-fulls of food, all the while keeping his eyes on her porcelain face. He was absolutely certain that this woman before him was no servant.

"I have a fairy tale for you."

His fork halted in midair and he nearly choked on his food. She waited patiently for him to catch his breath. She did not even flinch at his reaction. It was as if she knew already that it was coming. She knew...

"Are you.."

"A fairy? No. Well... not really...no. I'll be the one talking. You just eat."

She ignored his glare and continued.

"Once upon a time..."

He rolled his eyes at her and she smiled in response.

"...there was a beautiful young fairy named Eliase."

Evan dropped the fork. It clanged against the almost empty plate and splattered pieces of potato across the table. He shot up out of his chair so quickly, that it nearly turned over.

"How do you know of her?!" his voice was hardly a whisper, and he was suddenly conscious of the sleeping occupants of the house, and the servants in the kitchen, who he knew, would jump at any chance to retell a tale. He quickly composed himself, righted his tilted chair and sat down quietly. The food was forgotten. Emma had his full attention.

She waited for him to be seated and continued:

"Eliase had everything. She was beautiful and graceful. She had many admirers and many offers for marriage, but she was restless."

Evan stared in disbelief. She should not know this story! Everyone knew of Eliase. It was a story that parents told their children to keep them in Lorenne, and away from the world of wicked men. Evan had once doubted that any of it was even true... but now... to hear a human speak of it: he found himself questioning his own beliefs in the tale.

"Eliase fell in love with someone who was not of her people. He was a king, a very wealthy king, who was used to getting his way in everything: prideful and conceited. What he wanted was more important than anything else, or anyone else. It had been that way for generations. He learned it from his father, who learned it from his father."

"He took one look at Eliase and decided that he wanted her - but not for marriage. He was amused by her; by her gifts and her beauty, but once he tired of her, he forced her aside, and married a wealthy princess, instead. Eliase was too ashamed to return to her people. Purity is something you hold in very high regard."

Evan nodded in response. He had known of Eliase's shame, but not of her abandonment.

"So Eliase lived out her days in a poor village, under the same king who had spurned her, for she had no where else to go. She eventually married a man who did not love her and treated her worse than his own horse."

She paused and looked down at her hands in her lap. She remained quiet for a few long moments, and eventually, when he thought he would go mad waiting to hear more, she looked up at him and smiled sadly.

"And?" His patience was lost.

She got up quickly, picked up his plate and began to walk back toward the kitchens.

"And that's enough story telling for one night." she said over her shoulder.

"What was the point of that story, Emma? Why do you even know these things and why are you telling them to me?"

She stopped and he heard her sigh softly. She did not turn back in his direction as she said, "I want you to know that you can trust me, Evan. I'm going to do everything in my power to help you get her home." She turned toward him then. "That is what you're here for, is it not?"

He nodded once again.

"Good." she nodded back.

"How do you know all this: about Eliase?"

She paused for a long moment. When she spoke, he had to strain to hear her hushed whispers.

"I've always known; but that story isn't what's important right now. You have a future, Evan, where Eliase had none. Do not waste it."

They were nearly the same words that Everett had used.

He heard her footsteps retreat once more as he stared at the empty table before him.

"There is a part of the story that you do not know, Emma.", he heard her retreating footsteps stop before continuing, "There was a king who was in love with Eiase. If she had only returned to Lorenne, he would have married her."

He heard her laugh softly as she walked away. It was a sad, bitter sound.

He spent many hours outside of Celia's door, contemplating consequences. If he chose to love her, and the small spark of love that she felt for him continued to grow, what would that mean for her? Would she truly be lost? Perhaps he could take their advice: leave and take her anywhere - anywhere but Lorenne. Would she go willingly? He finally drifted off to sleep near dawn. He dreamed that he was chasing the sun.