Porcelain Heart

Chapter 5

Oh, what did she get herself into? And how? He didn't answer when she asked if he loved her. What does that mean?

She paces her beautifully decorated chambers.

She ends up falling asleep on the softest bed she's ever slept on.

~•~•~•~•~

Sombra doesn't know why he goes to her rooms, but he does. He's drawn to her. He knocks on the door, no answer. He opens the door slightly, and the lights are on. At first, he fears he's interrupted her bathing. Then, a closer peek tells him that she's sleeping.

She sleeps soundly, her ear looks like it hurts. He pushes the door the rest of the way open. His eyes travel down her back. She's so perfect. His breath catches as he- he can't help it- sends a small flurry of magic to her. A sort of mist appears around her. Purple swirls around her, illuminating her.

She gasps, the magic disappears, and she stops breathing. Alltogether. He races to her side. "Solstice. Solstice Love?"

He slams the door back open, and yells down the hallway. Guards appear instantly, and help take her to his rooms. He tears through books, and books, looking for a specific spell. He finds it, summons his magic, then hesitates. He's never used his dark magic for good. If this doesn't work...

He doesn't want to think about it. He loves her. That has to count for something. He pushes his magic into her, and waits. She gasps, and arches her back, floating slightly. The guards have left. She slowly falls back onto his bed, breaths slowing, but coming back. She lays on the bed, breathing now, and he releases his breath that he hadn't noticed he was holding.

He walks up to her slowly, and gingerly lays a hoof on her shoulder. Her eyes slowly flutter open. "Y-you saved me... What happened?" she whispers, in complete awe, it being obvious on her face.

He turns away, loosing the veil of calm he'd tried to collect before he'd touched her. It whisked away then, when he touched her. "You will not return to your rooms. You will stay here, in my chambers."

Silence, then: "Why?"

He didn't know if she meant that about what he just said, or why he'd saved her. So, he played it safe. "I don't... trust that wing of the castle. If something happened to you..." He silences himself, realizing what he was doing. "Get some rest."

He marches out before he says something stupid, and before she can reply.

~•~•~•~•~

Solstice Love watches his back as he walks out, strong back muscles flexing with each movement. The door shuts, and she sighs, releasing her held breath. He saved her. Why?

She decided to obey him, and fall asleep.

~•~•~•~•~

Solstice Love wakes up from her dreamless sleep. How long has it been since she'd had a dream? When she felt safe?

She notices the maid placing her pictures on a shelf from her cell. "Thank you," she says, voice hoarse.

The maid turns to her, and she can't help but gasp. The maid has a scar running from her forehead down to her jaw, crossing over her eye. "Child, you don't bear the scars," she says. Her voice is eerily raspy.

Solstice doesn't say anything.

"You shall bear my scars. You seem the type." What? The maid dives, and Solstice can't scream. She tries, but her voice...

The mare reveals a blade. Solstice can only swallow as the blade is pressed to her forehead. It pricks her skin, she feels the warm stickiness of blood on her ear. "Enjoy," she rasps. The blade is dragged down her face.

She finds her voice, and screams. Screams with all the breath in her lungs, all the effort she has. Even her own ears ring.

She passes out to pain.

~•~•~•~•~

Her scream fills his ears. Nobody else in the room seems to hear. He races out of his meeting, on of the stallions mid-sentence. He races down the corridor, not caring about anything else. He summons his magic, prepared for anything.

He runs harder, finally reaching his chambers. He bursts in, and she's passed out with a maid atop her, knife at her cheek. He shoves his magic at her, slamming her into a wall. She's unconscious. He races next to Solstice, and teleports a towel. He presses it to her face with his magic. "Oh, no no no no no," he thinks. She whimpers. His heart aches, beating rapidly.

"Come on..." he says. The guards finally arrive. They haul the maid out, he orders her to be beheaded. Tomorrow. At dawn.

They all leave, he cleans up the wound. It looks bad. It'll scar. He gently nudges her, needing her awake. She tries to open her eyes, then cries. He gently wipes away the tears with the cloth, her crying calms to a whimper.

"Solstice," he murmurs. "You have to tell me what happened. But first, are you okay?"

She cries again.

"You have to stop crying. It'll hurt."

"It hurts so bad..."

He whispers, "just tell me what happened. Then we can get you some help."

"She was putting my photos on one of your shelves, and turned to me. I saw her scar, and she dove at me, I couldn't scream. Then, I could. I passed out."

He stops and stares at her beauty, anger swelling around his head. "That quick?"

She nods.

"She's to be taken care of."

"What will happen to her?"

"She will be take care of, I said," he snaps.

She's silent, face slightly fearful. He dabs at her face again, she cringes. "Just another scar, right?"

He looks away. "That wasn't supposed to happen."

"But it did. And... I mean, I have to accept it. And I do."

He pauses, then summons a healer, letting them take care of her.

All he can think of on the way back to his meeting is how beautiful she looks, even with the wound.