The Rebirth of Ilena
Ilena
- Part 1 -
Ilena walked about her new estate as she inspected her new home as the Viscountess of Torrents Breath. She walked through the streets and the gardens among the peasants. Her Green cloak with a white ermine trimming trailed behind her she wore a matching tunic and breeches. Her boots and greaves were trimmed with fur as well. Her armor was light but firm, allowing for decent protection from swords and arrows while allowing her to move quickly.
As she moved through the markets the peasants would stop in awe and in fear they knew that her guards were among them but they did not know where. She smiled at a few shopkeepers as she passed and most of the men were boggling at her gracefulness and her beauty. She ignored them, but one man did peek her interest.
It was not his looks that peeked her interest, or rather not his attractiveness but they way he looked at her, almost observing her. As she moved on he followed.
the thought~I have an admirer or an assassin~ went through her head, she quickened her pace and turned a corner, her eyes which were today a grayish green took in everything around the corner. She slid into the shadows and drew Iures which morphed to a one handed sword. She breathed and drew the dagger that she kept tucked in the small of her back.
The man's footsteps shuffled against the stone street, and the splash of water as he stepped in a puddle. She saw his shadow before she saw him. She closed her eyes counted to three opened them and sprang from her hiding place. The man recoiled just in time to evade her attack. He crouched into a low fighting stance and drew his own sword, she attacked once again, throwing kicks at his knees which he countered with stop kicks. He swung his sword and then feinted to his left and stabbed a dagger into her shoulder, she screamed a cry of pain and her attacker grinned. She lunged forward and swept Iures across the mans face in an attempt to gouge out it his eyes. The man ducked just in time to evade the attack but he did not expect her to stab at his throat with her dagger, he raised his hand in a reactive instinct, her dagger pierced his hand like butter. he screamed a cry of pain and called for help. Ilena advanced and knocked her assailants sword from his hand hand hit him in the throat with a punch. Ilena stepped backwards ripped the dagger from her shoulder and threw it to the ground. She grabbed the flailing, gasping man on the ground to his feet. She pinned him against the wall with a forearm across his throat and the other with her sword just below his heart.
"Spy or assassin i care not, who sent you?" The man simply smiled at her and she realized that his friend had snuck up on her she stabbed the man she had pinned and whirled around ripping Iures free advancing.
- Part 2 -
Ilena advanced upon the man and he circled her as she countered his circle. Then he rushed forward and she raised iures to block, the man was stronger than her first opponent and his blow was harder than she expected. Her block faltered as she strained her injured shoulder.
She winced in pain and advanced once more, swinging her sword furiously she grabbed the dagger from the ground as well as a handful of dirt and threw it into the man's eyes. He recoiled cursing as he tried frantically to get remove the dirt from his eyes. She advanced quickly and stabbed the man in the bicep with her dagger, he screamed in pain as she smashed Iures into the side of his face with all her might. The man crumpled to the ground unconscious.
She stumbled into the market covered in blood bother her own and the blood of her adversaries. She found one of her guards and spoke a few words to him. he nodded and gathered his comrades they went and took the unconscious man to her dungeons for later interrogation and disposed of the body of the dead man.
She stumbled into her estate and went to clean and dress her wounds.
--
Haruka looked upon the river of Torrents Breath, the vain of water with currents so strong it prevented the construction of any sort of bridge, or the crossing of boats, an excellent natural defence, though, the annals spoke of ways of crossing constructing by the old Anglo Saxon kingdoms, the foundations of whatever construction long eroded, the knowledge that constructed it faded from living memory. The take over in Torrents Breath had been arduously slow, the penance for the harsh looting the people their had suffered only months previously.
Hearing footsteps across the grass, wet from the mornings rain, Haruka tensed as she turned around, not many people knew that she retired to the river bank, so she had little to fear from assassins, even if this was former enemy territory.
"My lady I bring news" A shadowy, cloaked figure said as he bowed low at her feet, his cloak absorbing the grounds moisture as he knelt.
"What news" Haruka asked almost tersely, but maintaining some degree of neutrality in her voice.
"Daegol, the spy you assigned to the Viscountess has been slain" The man spoke.
"By her hand I presume?" Haruka asked, almost bored.
"Yes, she crossed blades with him in the streets having concerted some sense of danger from the situation" The man reported.
"That does not surprise me, she is more than over zealous in killing Anglo Saxon life, which is unacceptable. I presume you recovered the body?"
"Of course ma'am" The man replied, the body of "Deagol" having been granted the fate of all spies and informants, an unmarked grave, that is, if he was not thrown into the raging currents of the river.
"She has just committed the murder of an Anglo Saxon, a crime, unacceptable, have some one demand, yes demand, she is brought before me, no violence is to occur, make it clear, that there will be repercussions if she acts in violence, and refuses to be apprehended"
--
Ilena was in her quarters cleaning and dressing her wounds, She applied the herbs and poultices to prevent infection.
Lucky for her the blade that pierced her shoulder cut flesh only, no nerve or muscle damage was inflicted. A scar would grow but her movement would not be hindered.
A knock sounded from her door, she raised her head and said
"What is it?"
"My lady, Duchess Haruka has sent for you." Ilena cursed to herself "Very well, i shall be out momentarily."
She dressed in another Emerald Green tunic and breeches with a matching cloak trimmed with white ermine fur. She donned her boots and greaves, she strapped her sword belt around her waist and sheathed Iures, She placed a Tonto on her forearms and fit a poisoners knife into its special sheath and slid that onto the small of her back.
She stood threw her cloak about her and strode out of her room. She exited and Nathandar stood outside with 5 other guards, they followed her to where the messenger was waiting, He was flanked by 6 armed men all bearing the sigil of Haruka, her hand involuntarily touched Iures's hilt.
She looked over at Nathandar who was ready to spring into action. She shook her head slightly and he relaxed a bit.
"Tell your dogs to stand down, my men will accompany me, or you will all die and Haruka will have to dispose of more of her agents bodies."
With that Ilena and her men strode past Haruka's men and they left her estate.
--
Haruka watched Ilena's approach to the hill, annoyed at the presence of armed guards, true that she did not specifically forbid it, it was incredibly rude. Though, Ilena's next words truly riled her, preventing a scowl from adorning Haruka's features she stared coldly at Ilena.
"Kneel, Vice Minister, as is expected of you" Haruka ordered, glaring at Ilena, she had been challenged, utterly unacceptable of her one of Ilena's rank.
--
Ilena was lead into Haruka's camp by Haruka's men and trailed by her own men. She walked with an air of confidence. She walked through her men on edge and at the ready, Nathandar was the most attentive.
They approached Haruka who was standing on a hill overlooking the river.
Ilena walked forward most of her men lingering in the rear Nathandar was three steps behind her she nodded to him and he stepped back, he still watched Haruka and her men carefully.
"Next time you wish to summon me, dont send your dogs armed to the teeth. If this is about your informant he attacked me so i killed him. I also have his accomplice in my dungeons, he will be released when i am done with him. That is non negotiable."
--
Haruka stared at Ilena carefully masking her anger, her true feelings, not displaying an ounce of what she felt at her words, Ilena did not deserve to be blessed with revelations, such insight. This woman, a mere peon to the God's to the oath she had taken had massively over stepped her mark.
"Kneel, at my feet, child, your sins and treason stand to reason, dismiss your guards, now, and hand me your sword, you no longer hold the right to bear arms in my presence" Haruka ordered, authority dripping from her voice, her anger restrained however. Ilena had made the mistake of challenging her so openly, she would be shown her place, or she would loose her place as well other such luxuries she enjoyed, life coming under that category.
--
Ilena stood there face to face with Haruka, neither of them willing to give any ground.
Ilena stepped back, as she did so Haruka smiled slightly.
Ilena bowed at her waist but did not kneel. "I'll kneel when you have no need to send armed guards, or to have your men attack me. If you wish my death signal your guards. I promise that you will die as well. I do not mean that as a threat my lady Ilena said straitening up "merely as a warning."
--
As Ilena began speak again, spewing yet more of her wretched filth like the petulant child, Haruka turning her head slight of a degree, her captain of the Knights Of Holy Iron Chains, seeing his queue, acting on the knowledge of what she would require of him in such a confrontation, noting her disengagement from Ilena's monologues the captain spared only a glance to the other assembled troops of the Knights, swiftly marching forward disarming the Ilena's brigand guards, at best her guards could only struggle briefly, outnumbered some eleven to one, surrounded and physically forced to relinquish their hands and dragged away from the confrontation. As Haruka's knights moved to apprehend the brigands, the Captain himself had darted forward, hitting out at the back of Ilena's knees with the base of his halberd, causing her to drop to them, in the wet mud, he then placed a halberd around her head, another Knight moving forward to do the same from the other end, making movement impossible with such weapons brandished so close to her neck.
"I shall indeed comply to give you the courtesies you deserve"
--
"I am not your child, I will not kneel, my guards would not abandon me when i stand so close to you even if i asked them to, and i obviously cannot give you Iures." Her voice dangerous.
She stood there her cloak flapping in the wind her eyes betraying nothing her face impassive.
"Perhaps i shall show you the courtesies you think you deserve when you show me those that i deserve. You are after all in my region. I know that you retire to the banks of the river when you think you are alone. You of all people should know minister, that when you are in my region you are never alone. You taught me how to set up my networks of spies and informants. So how about you start addressing me by my title and then perhaps we can talk about why you summoned me."
--
"Captain, I believe you have forgotten something" Haruka jided ever so slightly staring at him intently, giving him no indication as to what he had missed, the Captain staring at her blankly for a few moments, before glancing back down at Ilena and realising his mistake, gruffly he yanked the sword from her belt and handed it to one of his inferiors to deal with.
"Apologies ma'am, a lapse on my part, one that I shall avoid in future instances" The Captain almost grovelled, bowing his head briefly.
--
As Ilena looked up at Haruka, Ilena could see that Haruka felt a satisfaction.
Ilena's eyes grew dangerous, "Release me, you cruel cruel bi..
"You would do well not to insult me seeing as i hold your life in my hands"
Ilena stared at Haruka, she knew that if she moved she would die. "now that i have knelt before you, release me and my men and give me my sword back. Let us discuss this as two humans. Or do you prefer to watch those under you squirm like the puppet master you claim not to be?"
--
As Ilena once again embarked on one of her childish rants, Haruka, desiring to listen to nothing she had to say, merely once again looked away distracted, noting the birds nearby, Sigrun would be interested in possible Raven sightings, she would have to remember to tell him, to humour him at least. Her Captain once again acting in a manner befitting one who served directly under Haruka began to force Ilena up, at this movement Haruka was brought back to the situation at hand, glancing briefly at Ilena before looking away again, she spoke to her Captain.
"As you are the Captain" And she then strolled of for conversations sake she supposed she would at least approach the birds for reference. Ilena being forced away to Haruka tent, Haruka, would obviously return to the tent in due time, after she had attended to much more important things than the ostentatious rants of a impetuous child with delusions of worth and skill.
--
Ilena was forced to a standing position and marched away from Haruka, she was led through her encampment to a large pavilion style tent, she was led inside and seated in a corner blades at her throat ready to kill her at a moments notice.
--
Haruka approached the tree, the damp grass underfoot squelching irksomely, she did not truly know why she stared at the birds, only that she had grown tired of Ilena's ridiculous protestations very early on, and this was the best way in which to snub her. Staring briefly at the birds Haruka disregarded any attempts at trying to discern the genus or species of bird, who could truly decipher the difference between Crows and Raven's she did not know. Sighing as she realised she would have to deal with Ilena again, she began to formulate some ideas how to garner some fun out of an otherwise morose scenario.
The slight traces of a smile playing across Haruka's she strode calmly in the direction of her tent, no pretence of a rush entering her mind, she intended to enjoy herself, prolong the pleasure as more vulgar people would coin it.
With a flourish she burst through the tent entrance, quickly locating Ilena amongst the various tent miscellaneous, she was sat with guards holding her captive.
"Those clothes..." Haruka murmured "I desire their abdication from her person"
"Should you try to touch me you will not get that hand back, I can undress myself" Ilena spoke dangerously at the guards, exchanging a glance with them.
"She can undress herself, obviously, though she needn't sound so proud of being able to perform such a simple tasks, guards you will leave us once she is declothed and completely disarmed of any possible weapons, you will take her belongings and not return to this tent unless I ask it" Haruika ordered to her guards.
As the guards moved slightly from Ilena's person giving her room to undress, though unmercifully not taking their eyes of her, their halberds raised against her. Ilena, unrelenting in her hateful stare of Haruka, she unclasped her cloak, letting it drop to the ground, her hair falling from its usual configuration, its shiny folds collapsing, spilling long, almost shiny in texture, dancing across her back and her shoulders. Haruka at this point had to suppress. Breaking her glare from Haruka only temporarily, Ilena took of her boots, placing them next to her cloak, then she stripped of her greaves from her trousers, placing them on her cloak. Next Ilena stood back up, resuming her intense glare directly into her eyes, she lifted her tunic up, exposing the swell of her uncovered breasts, and perhaps, less interestingly revealing varying weapons on her person.
"Guards" Haruka ordered lazily, they quickly set about removing the weapons.
As they stepped back Ilena resumed her forced removal of her clothes, now, so lacking in clothes she slipped her trousers down, revealing the pale skin of her thighs and more. Now standing completely naked Ilena placed her trousers down onto her pile of clothes. Knowing their role in this affair, they collected her clothes and left the room no questions asked. Ilena faced Haruka unbrazoned in the face of her humiliation.
--
As Ilena stood before Haruka naked her eyes filled with hate and the lust to kill Haruka. She suppressed such feeling for a time when she could linger on them in a more delightful manner.
"Well my lady now that you have given your guards their pleasures and you yourself have seen my undress myself, what do you intend to do? March me in front of your men in an attempt to humiliate me? I must apologize a head of time if being seen naked by men does not humiliate me, for you see, I was once enjoyed by my mothers lover and his ten friends for fourteen hours. If my father were alive at the time i do think he would have killed them all slowly. My body may be taken and forced, but my heart will not be so easily cast about."
Haruka her face betraying nothing said "Somehow, this story does not surprise me, you reek of those men"
Ilena stood their and for the first time in a long while she wished Kylar was their to hold her so she could cry away her fears. She touched her necklace and felt her heart sink as she thought about Kylar. Her face did not betray her thoughts but still she felt deeply saddened by his loss and wished more than anything for him to live.
--
Haruka stared at Ilena all through her speech about her past, Haruka sparing but a few words to her. Haruka found herself incapable of feeling any real sort sympathy or compassion at her story, perhaps it was something she had lost a long time ago, or her inability to truly concert any sort of coherent thoughts on the matter of sexuality, any true thoughts that is... She had liberally ordered the rape of thousands during her reign as Holy Legate, she had never really felt anything at all, it was something foreign, alien to her, that never truly impregnated the thoughts of her mind. Now as Ilena stood there, naked, recounting some story of her childhood, perhaps a more ... real sort of human would feel compelled to feel, well anything.
"You speak of your past so brazenly, why is that?" Haruka asked, trying to glean some sort of understanding of the entire situation, which had in truth left her feeling confused, not least at the sight of young slender body. Sighing slightly Haruka glanced around her tent.
--
"I am not sure why, my lady, but i do know however that it holds no real power over me. Yes i am ashamed of it but there was nothing that i could have done to stop it. Not for lack of trying of course but still, i guess i have accepted it and moved on."
Ilena caught Haruka's glance around the tent, Ilena looked at Haruka for a long while and asked,
"You have seen and dealt with your share of rapes havent you? maybe not your own but in one way or another you have been involved."
--
Haruka returned her gaze to the naked form of Ilena as she finished answering, posing a question of her own.
"As is the burden of any commander. Soldiers expect a strong leader, one with the stomach for war in all its entirety"
--
"True, but the question is, why is it necessary to rape and kill?" Ilena said, pushing Haruka a little more. A tactic ezio never failed to teach her.
--
"You imply that I act irrationally? Without thinking? No Ilena, I am not you, I feel the weight of every action, every reaction and every decision I make, this too, is the burden of command, everything I do has consequences that must be carefully considered, thus I do not act unnecessarily, I made the decisions under the circumstances and even now I defend them as righteous"
--
"You mistake irrationality for haste, i may not weigh every option but that is because usually i do not have such a luxury, As i did not have the luxury to weigh what it would cost me if i killed your agent. I gave him a chance to live. He simply had to identify himself and as it turns out you. He refused as i had expected and so he was no longer of any value to me."
--
"Allow me to make a logical deduction, you say you where not irrational but rather haste, then surely the next step in that strain of thought would be for you to say you never even had a choice in the situation? Surely you realise how irrational it is to act without thinking. That man was not my agent, but rather, an Anglo Saxon commoner, the penalty for murder, as you know, is execution, while the situation is different as it is the murder of a peasant at the hands of the landed nobility. Your complete lack of care for Anglo Saxon is what truly riles me about you, you kill needlessly, at every opportunity, it is unacceptable! in a realm who's capital possesses only Two Hundred peasants, every death is a loss, every peasant has a purpose and job to do, but with no care for your repercussions or the effects on the balance of these lands you hack down anyone who so much as squint at you in bright sunlight. Not only that, but you refuse to recognise your place! You so openly commit treason, insult I, the Tyrant Mistress of the Stormlands and go on to make unfounded accusations and threats to me. The only logical course for me to take is to have you tortured to death I hope you realise. No one, NO ONE, not even a Liberite would do the absolute dishonours you have, they would not shame them or their family in such a horrific manner and then act as is it was inconsequential. Even if I where inclined to show you mercy, which I am not, I am unable, to show mercy would to loose the respect and loyalty of my soldiers, my subjects, it would weaken me, make me loose face. I cannot even begin to comprehend a punishment great enough for you" Haruka spoke quickly, and as she came to a pause she breathed deeply "A person like you is the below the attentions of the nobility, and the nobility to far above you to have ever suffered your presence"
--
"You say i dishonor my family? I HAVE NO FAMILY All that i ever cared about was taken from me. It was stolen from me! The man i love lies dead and you say i am a blight and a suffering upon those above me?! You have not known suffering as i have." Ilena screamed at Haruka, her hands began to shake a little.
"I killed the peasant in MY region mind you for he attacked me. It was not as your spies report that he looked at me so i slew him. It was that he was intently watching me and pursuing me through the streets, I turned a corner to see what he would do he drew his sword and attacked. The Logical reaction is to defend yourself."
Ilena's eyes were dark and dangerous her voice was level once again and her hands steady.
"You say you must punish me, well i say that there is nothing that you can do to me that will match the pain in my heart. I disrespect you because you have disrespected me, you spat in my face and didn't even have the courtesy to call it rain. So forgive me if i dont bend to your every whim."
Ilena had been standing this whole time and now she turned to the nearest chair, looked at Haruka gestured to the chair and said.
"I hope you dont mind"
--
Haruka stood impassively as Ilena let out the brunt of her rage, ranting and raging about losses and family, Haruka had more than likely heard it before at one time or another, and in a lot of ways, could not bring herself to feel any compunction, or semblance of empathy, Ilena may have suffered, may have been emotionally defecated by swathes of faceless men from her past, but in Haruka's mind, it was no excuse for her actions, horrible as it must have been for her, that is no excuse to then enact her rage upon the world as a loose cannon murdering pariah.
As Ilena then posed a question at Haruka, she stared at Ilena, unsure of what to say at her outburst, devoid of any real empathetic deductions, Haruka as at a loss. Ilena stood before Haruka, breathing heavily from the exertions of her monologue.
"You know Ilena, as your shoulders heave up and down, the gold chain you have dances across your breasts in the most peculiar fashion"
--
Ilena calmed herself, her eyes grew distant and she straightened. "Its silver She said quietly "Kylar gave it to me the day he asked me to marry him.." Ilena was almost in tears, she collapsed into a chair her body shaking slightly.
"He said that as long as i wore it we would never be apart. At least not spiritually."
--
Haruka watched as her words nearly brought tears to the eyes of the young woman in front of her, making Haruka feel almost ... old. Never in her entire life had Haruka felt like she was old, being incredibly fit and youthful in body she never let the idea penetrate her, or form the basis of a concept in her mind, but seeing the young woman in front of her, so raw, so fresh, having never created a real sort of hardened shell around her heart, like... a young newborn that as it cannot speak, can only cry out with all its might to be heard to be understood.
"I would never have considered you one for marriage" Haruka pondered quietly, this did not seem to an arrange marriage of the sort young women of nobility are normally subjected to, but rather, an act of her own volition and want.
--
"I suppose you think that one such as i is incapable of love? I did love him, i loved more than my life and when he was killed, i never healed."
--
"That much, is obvious" Haruka replied quietly, turning her back on Ilena as she looked across one of the desks in her tent, her fingertips caressing a flagellant delicately as she contemplatively ran her fingers across the many objects that lay home in her possession. Haruka felt no fear at turning her back on Ilena, she did not doubt she could physically over power Ilena if it came to it, not to mention Haruka had decades of training that Ilena did not, unlike Ilena Haruka had been conceived on a war island, where she was quickly thrust into the wars at hand. The idea of Ilena being a match for Haruka was laughable.
Though, the idea of such physical activities from her in their current state was a strangely alluring thought, invoking a feeling Haruka had no name for, and she felt no real interest in assessing her thoughts on the matter. This was turning in a rather fun psychological experiment, pressing different "buttons" to see the reaction it caused to come forth from Ilena, such raw and real emotions flowing forth like the torrents of rain that battered Haruka's Stronghold.
--
Ilena was determined not to let Haruka get to her, she sat their naked tears in eyes and looked at Haruka with set eyes and a determined look upon her face.
--
"He is dead. One never really suffers until they have lost the one they love, wouldnt you agree? Or are you the type of person of forgoes love for casual sex or no lovemaking at all simply because it "makes you weak?"
--
Haruka turned to face Ilena, the flagellant in her hand, Ilena had asked a strange question, and Haruka began to consider the many different interpretations of Ilena's words, what was she getting at? Was she hinting, or mocking?
"I wonder Ilena, as you sit their nakedly presenting yourself before me, why you ask me on my sexual preferences, what do you hope the gain out of this situation? Perhaps you think there is more to be gained from the company of a woman, and not a man?"
--
I simply wish to know if you share the pain that resides in my heart. I prefer no man's company save for one."
Ilena said, her eyes never leaving Haruka. Her voice steady yet calm
--
"So you do indeed seek the company of woman instead of men. That would explain a lot of your actions thus far" said Haruka.
--
"You misunderstand me, I seek the company of the man i love. No one else. Other company is..well lacking in comparison to Kylar. But if you are asking me if i prefer women to men then the answer is i do not prefer one of the other in terms of plain company. Sexually i prefer men and of all the men in the world there is one man who will have both my heart and body."
--
Haruka looked at Ilena feeling the rising feeling inside at her words, her hand tight fistedly grasping at the flagellant, her knuckles growing pale at the pressure she applied onto its handle.
"The one man you claim to love is dead, he abandoned you long ago, you are alone, as everyone is, to trust another in love, or passion or any other derivative, it's illogical.. it's wrong, you are wrong" Haruka spoke keeping the illusion of calm, though her voice rising slightly.
--
"If you truly believed that, then your voice would have remained steady and your knuckles would not be turning white from the intensity of your grip"
Ilena said in a way that it was as if she were simply pointing out observations. Her mind was far from her.
--
"I would expect no such logical deduction from you. Your deductive reasoning is meable, you should not presume to understand anything of me, or this situation.
You are a child, your naivety shows in a plainness that is almost painful for me to see" Haruka spoke staring at Ilena, her eyes dancing across her flesh, no, flesh that must be purged rather than rewarded, Haruka's grasp on her flagellant grew stronger, she would not allow it again.
--
"My lady, Ilena said kneeling at her own will "Why is it that you have so much built up rage? I know my rage is from the loss of Kylar, but what has caused your heart to grieve?" Ilena stood slowly.
--
"My heart does grieve, my soul is purged of any anger, you are mistaken" Haruka replied coldly "Stand up" she ordered.
--
Ilena who was already standing shifted her weight, she said
"My Lady, i know you are or were familiar with my relative Ezio. He trained me for a while and if you will permit me i would like to try something. Grant me that and i shall do whatever you ask."
--
"Ezio, a name unfamiliar to me, as will any other name of your creed that you may happen to spew at me. I am uninterested in you, or your failed romances" Haruka replied coldly, realising the message behind Ilena's replies, knowing what it meant, but glad that it allowed her to think in some degree of clarity, as opposed to the hopeful murky thoughts swirling about "Turn around, now"
--
"I know you know of Ezio, we spoke of him before. You called him a heretic." Ilena took a small step forward.
"Kylar used to sing this to me when ever i was scared or angry"
With that Ilena collapsed to her knees and began to sing, first at a mezzo soprano then gradually rising and rising her voice until it hit a full and glorious Soprano higher than most women care to dream of singing. She touched her necklace and her mind flashed to when she would sing with Kylar, his voice a tenor, interweaving with her own.
She sang of a love running so deep that nothing would ever uproot it. She sung of passion and trust shared between two people. She sang a song of lovers. And it was glorious.
After she held the last note for what seemed like an impossible time, she bowed her head and closed her eyes. Her heart was beating immensely fast, it was pounding in her ears. and still she remained still.
--
With a slight flutter Haruka realised Ilena dropping to her knees right in front of her, but, she quickly regained control and composure, bolstered by the song she began to sing, Haruka would have none of this renewed mockery, that malicious child knew what she was doing.
"Step back, NOW" Haruka ordered, her eyes briefly flashing a degree of anger "You are to step back, you are to turn around, and you are to get on your knees, nothing new to the type of woman you are"
--
Ilena did not move, she ignored the comments and snide remarks Haruka threw at her and she stayed where she was.
"Let it go" Ilena said in a quiet and calm voice.
--
Haruka felt her hand brandishing the whip rise slightly, but reconsidered, no, this peon would not be worth a display of emotion.
"You have your orders, I will not ask again"
--
"Let it go" Ilena requested once more. This time she picked her head up and looked at Haruka, a kindness in her eyes that had not been there since she had looked at Kylar.
--
Haruka saw the look in Ilena's eyes, almost tempted to believe it, but no, she was wiser than that, she was being played by this bitch, she would not be fooled again, Ilena had already made her decision.
"You disagree? You have your orders" Haruka spoke quietly at Haruka, changing her flagellant to her left hand whilst placing her hand on the hilt of her sword.
--
Ilena held her gaze, she yearned with her entire body to be able to help Haruka.
Her eyes were swimming with kindness and all she wanted was for Haruka to let go of the biter outer shell. She wanted Haruka to know it was okay to love again
--
Haruka felt a vicious sort of pleasure rise up as Ilena finally did as she was told, she could not help but keep her eyes on Ilena as she sank to the ground seemingly clutching the pendant thing for luck, or some sort of guidance. No, this was all lies, the way she carefully manipulated the situation, pretending to be so delicate and innocent, all of it calculated and perfectly designed.
Haruka lifted the flagellant, before swinging it down forcefully, watching as the flagellant splayed across her back and shoulders, ripping at the once untarnished flesh before being lifted back of.
"You fool, you do not even realise how badly you have failed do you?" Haruka asked rhetorically, lashing out again with whip, mesmerised almost by its motion of caressing Ilena's body.
"Failure is the key to success, otherwise how will we know when we are successful" Ilena replied.
"I would not expect a more intelligent answer to escape your lips"
Haruka stared at Ilena now, watching the beads of blood drip from her upper back, tracing their way down and down, until finally dripping to the floor, leaving behind a dark trail, contrasting greatly against the otherwise pale skin.
--
Ilena stood slowly as not to alarm Haruka, she took a few steps backwards and said,
"You wont let go, and so now i have chosen to do what you as of me."
She looked up towards the sky, touched her necklace and whispered an inaudible prayer.
With that she turned around and sank to her knees still holding her necklace.
--
Haruka felt a sense of triumph and also pain, admitted by her own words, she was little more than a carefully planned distraction, tool, all of it a lie designed to lure Haruka, none of it was true, unsurprising, Ilena all along had played the role, perhaps all of it was a lie, everything so far, Ilena's apparent interest in many things, all of it a ruse to get closer to her, even the stories of Kylar where surely lies. Many things where now out of Haruka's grasp, no... No, not like this, all is within Haruka's grasp, she had only have the strength to take what she wants, so what if it was a lie, the end result would be close enough to a the non existent reality.
Haruka eyes darted across Ilena's firm body, particularly at the swell of her chest, the soft hair hanging lankly across her back, the feeling of warmth spreading through her abdomen insufferably so, creating a feeling of emptiness that was no emotional. She walked forward, on impulse more than anything, unsure of what she was doing, she was now so close she could feel the warmth emanating from Ilena's bleeding body.
"For a spy, you are a fool, perhaps you have realised your game is up, the lies unravelled, that to keep any other pretence is foolish" Haruka spoke out without thinking, had Ilena truly been a spy, she would have had more tact not to get herself into this situation, maybe Ilena was not some sort of spy or foreign agent, but perhaps the loose cannon rebel she had always been, yes, that was more likely, but that did not explain whether or not what she said was lies. No, this thought was would not do, Haruka could not consider to think of it like that, it would breed the idea of hope or chance in Haruka's mind, the fact still remained, lies or not, Ilena had made her decision, she had placed the barrier between them when asked...
"Spy or not... the end is the same..." Haruka muttered, dragging her eyes away from Ilena's form, stepping back, Haruka was better than this, than such impure thoughts, especially over some rat of the nobility, it was unacceptable, unbearable, it could not, would not be this way.
With this new found ideology gaining ground in Haruka's mind she would have to force herself to do what is right, and pay her penance for her failings at such temptations, she had allowed all of this to happen, and she had let it get to her. Ilena would be punished and disposed of, nothing more, nothing less, Haruka's station demanded she punish her impartially, and she would exact the law, and take satisfaction in cleansing this temptress bitch from her sins.
--
Ilena could feel Haruka's approach more than hear it.
After listening to Haruka's comments, Ilena said "Do you know why you feel like your losing control? Do you know why you feel like everything slips from your grasp? I can tell you feel them, i saw it in your eyes, Ezio taught me how to read peoples eyes, surely you remember him.
--
"You are a strange yet predictable woman Ilena, you seek to know all, or at least purvey the image that you have some degree of omniscience, perhaps it is due to some inferiority complex you or may not have. Your act truly becomes one of jest when the things you say are so clearly wrong in content and intention that one is inclined to laugh at you. You claim to see things in my eyes, strange, coming from the woman kneeling with her back turned to me. I am in control of myself, and you, whether or not my grasp encompasses everything is unimportant, unlike you I do wish to control every thought and outcome and manipulate my surroundings to try and gain some sense of worth and safety, the stories you so recounted to me obviously left their traumatising mark on you in more ways than you are even capable of understanding, but to those of us forced to watch your tiresome renditions it is ever so plaintive"
--
Ilena stood slowly and turned to face Haruka
"I would hardly say i am predictable, if i were you would have no need to keep tabs on me my lady."
--
