Dominion Ch. 15

Mila cleaned up and prepared to close the bar for the night as she thought about her day. It was a quiet evening, and she was happy for the break from the drama that usually surrounded The Rusty Tankard. Somehow though, she knew in her gut it was just a calm before the storm. Weeks passed since she helped Trysten escape into Pakaur, and she wondered how he was doing. Was she right to take him there? For all she knew, he could have simply gotten lost and died in the swamp. What help would he be to Aeradil then?

Her grandparents told her the stories of the marshes, and she knew they even lived in the Temple of Mire at one point. She was forbidden to ever speak the stories, the common people were not meant to know the truth of where the Maeleq hid themselves away. She took a chance, telling Trysten the truth... But this was different. He was her cousin, and he deserved to know. She had very little family, most of them spread across the continent by now, and she never saw them anymore. She wasn't even sure if her grandparents were still alive. At one point they decided to go their separate ways, and told her that it was safer for her if she moved on, and made a new life for herself.

She wondered why being associated with them was a so dangerous. Maybe their jobs were a risk, and they acquired enemies along the way. They were Maeleq, after all. Their heritage alone was enough of a threat to put targets on their backs. It was lucky for her that she was only adopted. She looked nothing like them and was able to conceal her past with little effort. If not, she wasn't sure how she would have been able to survive this long as a simple bar maid. If the Dominion ever discovered who her connections were, she would be in grave danger.

A knock at the barred door shook her from her thoughts.

"We're closed!"

Another knock. She sighed and set her cleaning rag down, wiping her hands on her apron as she turned toward the door. Maybe someone forgot their belongings. It was the least she could do to let them check and see before she was gone for the night. The knock sounded again, louder and more urgent.

"Just a minute!" she called as she reached the door and unlocked it. She opened her mouth to speak as the door swung open... but was shocked into silence at the sight before her. There was a handful of Naugu standing on her doorstep! She made to shut the door but they were much faster than she was, busting it back on its hinges and forcing their way inside. The door was shut and locked once more and she backed up as quickly as she could toward the kitchen. Hands on her shoulders ended her pursuit and she looked around to find that the men had spread about the room, blocking any escape route and effectively cornering her. "What do you want?"

"Just some answers, little one."

That voice, she heard it somewhere before. It caused the hair on the back of her neck to stand and she turned to look at the speaker. He exuded authority, in a way that only a royal would. Even in exile, Trysten stood just as proudly, and his eyes held that same sharp expression of someone who was used to being heeded. She swallowed nervously and considered the situation. What kind of answers was this man looking for? Surely he couldn't know that she helped Trysten?

"Of course I know, silly girl," he spoke again, and Mila paled in response. How could he know her thoughts? "Just relax, sweetling. You don't even need to say a word. I will find the answers myself."

He placed his hand on her forehead and she shivered. This was bad, very bad! The Naugu couldn't know any of this information! He let out a small chuckle, as if to imply her thoughts were entertaining and trivial. After a moment of sifting through her mind, however, his expression grew grim. He seemed angry, livid even, as he stepped back and regarded her in a new light.

"This is the girl." he snapped as he looked at the man restraining her struggling form. "This is the girl that Ohna told me was dead!"

"How do you know my grandmother?" Mila blurted out. It was pointless to pretend he didn't already know her connections, and she was more concerned for her family. "What have you done to her?"

"Oh you naive, pure hearted soul. Your grandmother is my personal adviser. She willingly came to me, to assist me with my plans," he explained as he stepped closer to her. "She isn't being very honest with me about her own plans, it seems. She wanted you to help Trysten. She practically sent him to you!"

"He's my cousin. If it was her plan to send him to me, it was because she knew I was the only person she could trust to help him."

"You're a fool for sending him to Pakaur. They will never let him leave that place," he was frustrated, but not with her. "I needed him to be free! I only wanted the Dominion for a temporary goal, and I intended to redeem his name and give him back his throne! Now, for all I know, he could be a rain dead puppet for those blasted mind walkers!"

"What are you saying?" she whispered as she pieced together the true meaning of his words. The realization was more horrifying than she could have ever thought. "Are you... Are you Serenad? The Consort Overlord?"

"Ah, you're catching on," his expression grew soft as he reached out to touch her face. "You have no need to fear me, sweetling. You mean more to me than you will ever know."

"Don't feed me your bullshit lines! You don't even know who I am! I'm just a pawn to you, like everyone else!"

"That is where you are wrong. You don't remember me, but we've met before," his voice was raw with emotion, and the tender expression he held confused her, "I intend to remedy that, but it will take time. I have other matters I must attend to before I can commit to returning your memories to you."

"I don't understand."

"I don't expect you to," he pressed his lips to her forehead, and then framed her face with his lips before perching his mouth against the crook of her neck. "This is going to sound strange coming from someone like myself, but you're going to need to trust me. Now sleep. "

Teeth broke skin, and a drug like feeling came over Mila. Her body slumped and Serenad's strong arms dipped to lift her against his chest. Her head lulled against his shoulder as he hefted her legs up and carried her toward the door. She could hardly hold her eyes open as she was brought out into the night air, and she barely registered the sound of a carriage as she faded into unconsciousness.

Fragments of pictures flooded her mind, vague in nature as they flickered through her dreams. The broken memories only seemed to confuse her more as they wove their way through her thoughts. She didn't understand where she was, all she could see was the ocean in every direction. The ship she was on was so... Massive. She recognized none of the people, yet she interacted with them as if she knew them. The ship seemed to over turn on its own and then... there was water everywhere and she couldn't find the surface, her chest hurt from holding her breath and then she collided with a piece of wood, losing consciousness as she inhaled the salty substance surrounding her.

"Its time to wake up, sweetling."

Mila shot into a sitting position and looked around, noticing the bed beneath her, and a dim light illuminating a figure in the far corner. It was too dark to make much of the room out, but she could see the dark silhouette of Serenad's body as he lounged on a couch against the wall. He faced the bed, the light of a candle to his left casting dancing shadows over his body. He looked relaxed, but he studied her intently, the glow of his yellow irises capturing her full attention. She felt like a rabbit caught in the clutches of a clever fox, and the thought made her shiver. He grinned as he appraised her, and she had a feeling he knew what she was thinking.

"It's wearing off," he reassured her as he leaned forward in his seat. "Soon I'll be reaching for pieces of your thoughts, and then you will be safe from my probing. Maybe, when we are once again on even ground, we can talk."

"Talk?" his idea of even ground was a bit skewed. "You already know everything I could possibly tell you."

"I don't mean to interrogate you, love." he leaned back against the couch again as he sent her a disarming grin. If he thought Mila was going to believe his harmless pretense, he was crazy. A soft chuckle hinted that he found her thoughts amusing. She closed her eyes and sighed, trying to calm down before she got herself into more trouble. "Do you remember how Ohna and Okuo found you?"

"I was so young..."

"You we're 13, actually." he murmured, "You were in a shipwreck, and I was the one to find you."

The dream came back to her, and she she shot a glare in his direction. Was the dream just another part of his game?

"How do I know you aren't feeding me lies?" she frowned. "How can I trust that this isn't some scheme you've devised to brainwash me?"

"Have you ever seen anything like it before?" he asked, "How could I fabricate something so outlandish? So... otherworldly? Its difficult enough to implant false memories. Imagine crafting such a thing out of mid air."

"I guess you're right," she agreed, subdued. "I woke up on the shore, and it was as if I knew nothing of Aeradil. Do you think I lost my memory then?"

"In time, I will show you everything."

"Why not just show me now?"

"Recall the way drowning made you feel." he explained as he stood from the couch. "Imagine how it would feel to relive it all at once. I would risk hurting you, so it would be safer to give you pieces at a time."

"I see." she didn't want to believe him, but his points were difficult to argue against. Untrustworthy or not, his explanations made sense. Besides, she had a feeling he was being genuine. "I don't understand your motives."

"I was so young when I found you. All I could think about was that I couldn't just let you drown out there," he took a step closer to the bed and stopped, as if he were trying not to scare her away, "there were no motives in my actions."

"And what of now? You can't honestly tell me you aren't trying to use this to your advantage," she scooted farther back on the bed as he took another step, and he stopped again, "That boy who saved me is gone. You want to twist that moment around, to look like my savior."

"I thought you were dead," Serenad shook his head, as if reliving a painful memory. "when you died, that boy died with you."

"My grandmother hid my existence from you to protect me. I don't even have to ask her to know it as truth. That is why my memories are gone, and why she wanted you to think I was dead." Mila closed her eyes as she considered all of the deceit that went into the whole situation. Her grandparents had a good reason for this, and she refused to believe otherwise. "She may want to help you, but she doesn't trust you. Surely you can understand why?"

"I sometimes forget that my reputation precedes me outside the walls of Hollowood." his expression was grim as he eyed her. "You have every reason not to trust me. But now, knowing you still live, it only fuels me to finish this as quickly as possible. I want to find that boy again, the one that saved you all those years ago."

"Finish what, exactly?" she frowned when he looked away, and then gestured to the room she was trapped in. "If you want to earn my trust, honesty would go a long way. Its not as if I'm in the position to be spreading information around."

He took another step, and his legs were flush against the side of her bed. Still he kept the small distance between them, his eyes focused on her as she leaned against the wall at her back. Slowly, carefully, he rested his hands on top of the mattress and leaned ever closer. She steeled herself not to move, eyes fixed on his as he stopped just out of reach.

"Everything I'm doing, I'm doing for you." he breathed, his voice almost a whisper, "if I tried to explain now, you wouldn't understand. Just know that I'm trying to take you home."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"It will. And if it takes until that moment for you to trust me, then I will simply have to be patient,"

"You? Patient?" she couldn't help but snicker, "I highly doubt that."

"I think you underestimate the amount of patience I have, when necessary."

"What makes me so necessary?" eyes downcast, Mila tried to ignore his close proximity. Those eyes of his seemed to pick her apart from the inside out as he watched her, "I'm just a relic of your childhood, aren't I?"

"You are honestly the last person on this earth that I still truly care about," he leaned in until his lips pressed against her forehead. The action was tender, and it only confused Mila more. "Give me a chance to prove myself. You will come to understand in time."

Mila kept her eyes sealed shut, her uncertainty bordering on fear. She didn't want to believe him, but she couldn't help but want to give him a chance. He seemed so sincere, and it pulled at her heart strings when he spoke about finding that little boy once again. Fingers brushed her cheek and she held still, poised like a frightened deer ready to bolt at any moment. But the soft touch held her captivated, the way he caressed her skin as if he still couldn't believe she was real. He traced her face as if to memorize it, and she allowed the contact with tentative curiosity.

"You might be right about the patience," Serenad murmured, a soft laugh on his breath as he leaned away, "I can't seem to stay away. When did you go off to live on you own?"

"Um," the question caught Mila off guard, and she had to take a moment to adjust to the sudden change in subject, "about 2 years ago. I got the job at the rusty tankard, and I've been doing fairly well."

"Before I came and stole you away, of course."

"Of course."

"How was work at the bar?" he tried again, his voice light at he backed away toward the couch, "there weren't any... unsavory individuals giving you trouble?"

"There was the occasional drunk that wanted to take me home, but nothing I couldn't handle," she spoke offhandedly, unaware of the frown that marred Serenad's face. "It never got dangerous. Most took rejection rather well."

"Most?"

"The others were typically thrown out by Jimmy, our cook." she smiled at the memories. "A night out on their ass usually had them with better manners the next time they came in."

"Could Jimmy have protected you from me?" his tone was casual, but she could sense the tension in Serenad's body language. "If I were to have taken you during his shift, do you think he could have stopped me?"

"No."

"If someone discovered who you were, even by chance... you had no form of protection from your enemies. It is how I captured you so easily. All it took was some planning and good timing. I learned your shifts, tracked your schedule, and waited for the right moment to catch you. Imagine if it had been someone worse?"

"There are people worse than you?" she mocked as she scooted until her toes touched the floor at the edge of the bed. He was being silly now, "do you intend to protect me from yourself?"

"Why do you suppose I'm across the room?" he smirked, his eyes glittering in the candlelight. "It wasn't easy to pull myself away, but I did."

"And how long to you think you will be able to stop yourself? What happens when you get bored of being nice, and decide to simply take what you want?" Mila stood, still leaning partially against the bed as she brought her fists to the sides of her hips. "You already took what you wanted from my mind, so where do you draw the line?"

"Where do you want the line drawn?"

"Holding me against my will, as a hostage... that's a pretty big taboo for a first date." she tried not to smile when he outright laughed at her smart reply. "but I guess I can see why you wanted to keep me holed away, as over protective as it is."

"How reasonable of you," he chimed with a gleaming smile, but as he leaned forward his expression turned serious. "I don't want to scare you, Mila. I'm sorry you are effectively a prisoner here. But this is only temporary."

"I believe you," the way his face lit up at her grudging admission, she had to bite her lip to hold back a sheepish smile. She took a few slow steps toward him as she considered an answer to his question. "Touching. That is where the line is crossed. I don't want you to touch me without my permission."

"I will do my best. You may have to remind me often." another few steps and she was just before his slouched figure, an arm arched slightly in his direction, "the same rule doesn't apply to me, if that is the reason for your hesitation."

"I just-" she swallowed as she reached out toward his plumb colored hair, "I don't want to give mixed messages."

"Not without your permission," he reiterated as her fingers drew near to their destination. He closed his eyes in anticipation, "Your own touch is not permission."

"I wonder if you will remember that rule, or if this is just another game so you can gain more ground."

"I guess the only way to find out is to test it." his grin grew mischievous, and she hesitated just a moment more before threading her fingers through his hair. "That feels nice."

"You're doing well so far." she giggled despite her nervousness, and reached her other hand into his mop of hair to continue massaging his scalp. "I bet you're ready to break your promises, though."

"You're right," he sighed as he reached out to pull her onto his lap. She froze in place as he positioned her to straddle him, "But I want to keep them, I do."

"I know," she relaxed when he made no other move to touch her, and continued toying with his hair. She struggled to ignore the way her stomach pressed against his chest as she leaned forward to reach him. "I think, considering your record, I can afford to give you credit where it is due."

"Mila," he warned, his voice heavy with regret, "you don't know the things I've done."

"I don't want to know," she cut him off, a focused expression on her face as she cupped his cheek and turned him to look at her, "I want to know that little boy, the one who saved me. I want to know you, not the person you've become because of a lie."

"I'd like to know the woman you've become," he offered, his eyes slits as he looked up toward her, "I'd like to hear about your life, your dreams... I want to get to know you."

"I'd like that."

A soft knock at the door spoiled their short reverie, and Serenad steeled his expression into a cool mask. He reached up to hold her hips and prevent her escape from his lap. He didn't want to let her go just yet, and so she allowed him to anchor her there. Its not as if she could have fought him off anyway.

"Enter." the door unlocked from the outside, and a Naugu scout entered the room before shutting it again. He was careful not to spare Mila a single glance as he looked to his leader. "What is the issue?"

"Sir, I have news for you."

"Speak freely," The scout hesitated only a moment before Serenad assured him with a nod. "The Daegra woman that you took interest in... she apparently had a child that managed to escape."

"Have you confirmed the gender of the child?"

"No."

"Damn. I want that knowledge confirmed as soon as possible. I need to know if it is even worth pursuing the child before I waste precious time tracking it down."

"Understood." the scout nodded and shifted his weight to his other foot, "There's more."

"Yes?"

"A Kyaga-Daegra hybrid entered the market a night ago. He was seeking The Sister Keeper."

"Were my instructions followed?"

"Yes, but we lost him, sir. He just... disappeared." the scout frowned, "Even Tarley couldn't pick up the trail."