A/N: Not much to say. Sorry for not updating for so long. That's was max ik. But school man... I double updated so, hopefully you guys are feeling that.
The night was crisp in its nature. Much cooler than it should be for late August. The careful transition of summer to fall, where the sun stays for shorter hours and the sky embraces the night and the moon much more willingly, much more patiently. Where the trees no longer blurred into that one singular color but danced around with different lovely hues. Orange, reds, browns. Surly one could find pleasantries within the sweet savory moments of fall. Yet this crisp night. This cold night, uttered but one feeling, one word; angst. The terror in my eyes reflected upon the sky every time I looked at it.
Tomorrow, in the morning, where the sun rose in the sky. Perhaps in attempt to glare light on our darkest areas. Our lives. The corners that have remained empty and cold. But fighting. Always fighting. Tomorrow when the time comes, it will still be the crisp clear night. It will still be the start of the end.
Funny how we dismiss the phase, the start of the end. For the end is a long process of turmoil, repetition that continues to occur in a variety of different ways. The feeling of exhaustion growing and, strength... hope residing somewhere far beyond where you heart beats in your chest.
Would my desire... or perhaps my drive to stand here looking at the sky, realizing how even when tomorrow comes anew it will yet still be a continuous night sky, be a trait of naivety? A foolish wish, a dream I conjured in my mind in times of heaviness and seemingly impermanent losses.
Or is it bravery? Could hope and strength be something conjured from my willingness to believe, to give, to know... that this wasn't it? That I could do this. We could do this.
He... can do this.
He can do this right? He can change the minds and hearts of some many people. Show that love truly moves through so many ways, and always remains limitless. That it isn't refined, and never defined. Just endless, and there should be no wars, no hate, no.. deaths because of that. Only celebrations.
Because love, it conquers in way I believe... it- love knows no boundaries.
And Jerias... he can convince people of that. He can show them. He can fight. He can live. Survive this.
This pointless yet terrifying moment, fight...
"He can do it." I whisper all while looking up at the sky still. As if I was talking to the moon and the stars.
"He can."
Spinning quickly but mostly not alarmed, I look to Markys curiously.
Such a resemblance Jerias carried to him, as if Markys was some future version of him.
"With you I think he can. He will. You..." he waves his arm to me, "You will."
I open my mouth to disagree but my voice is lodged somewhere deep inside of me. Lost.
In return Markys misreads my demeanor, "Sorry if I disturbed you," he says in his defense, "The door... it was open, I would've said something but... you looked a bit lost..." he point to the large windows, "Staring out the window as such."
Shaking my head I look down and wrap my arms around myself, "No-" my voice cracks so I cough to clear it, "No it's okay." I give small smile to him and stare at the papers in his hands, "Are those the files on the councilmen."
Markys nods and walks over to hand them to me, "Yes. That's everything we'll need tomorrow."
"Thank you," I skim through them before placing them into a folder on Jerias's night stand. I'd been staying in his room. At first I'd come to check if I could find anything he might have that could help; but then I got lost in it.
"It's no problem."
"No," I shake my head, "Thank you for being patient. Everyone. I-I shouldn't have said the things I did, there's not an excuse. But you were patient," I look at him for second, "So I just wanted to say thank you. And I apologize of course."
Markys shrugs then gives a short smile before placing himself seated on the bed, "It's not as if anything you said was a lie..." he laughs but it sounds a bit empty, "I can see now what Jerias meant..."
"What he meant?" I ask curious.
"About you..." Markys sighs heavily, "Says your pusher, but in the most annoying way possible. You had angry moods and you weren't afraid to reveal them to anyone. But... you were righteous. And kind. Something about being strong..." Markys waves off, "I... I was trying to convince him that the bond between Amaranthine and nosferatus was a very real thing. I told him that it was the reason he felt so deeply for you no matter what he could do, and you him."
Part of me wanted to laugh at that. Most of me felt nothing to it.
"Jerias," he continues, "he... he was very quick to disagree with me as you know. Angry. But he said all those things about you and claimed that to be the reason why he loved you. Said a bond was a plus, and I was blind to the truths of our world. He knew the whole time you know?" Markys tells me, "It wasn't the bond he was really scared of..." he eyes me and I suddenly feel heavy, "It was the influence of his feeling for you."
Scuffing I purse my lips a slimmer then cock my head at him, "Of course." I only say.
"I never could've done it. Not like you and him. That was where my flaw lied. In the true realization of what the whole problem was, that hate was shadowing love. This... this wasn't about a bond," Markys leans his elbow on his knees, "This was about love and it's inability to merely breath amidst our kind." He clears his threat before looking down, "So I'm sorry to you. And to him for that. I-I didn't want this to happen to him. I thought that if I hid then it would end for him too, for everyone here... Little did I know it was only just beginning."
"Don't beat yourself up about it," I glance carefully at him, "Like I said... I didn't mean any of it. Word is not many people even admitted what you had the bravery to do, so it's okay," shrugging at him, "Jerias on the other hand, you can say he's still bit bitter about you leaving him behind. But... he understands. Merely wishes you'd told him."
Markys runs a hand over his face but says nothing.
So I sigh and step closer to him hesitantly. He doesn't look up still so I move closer, until I find my self seated besides him on the bed, "He... he loves you very much you know." Markys still says nothing after I wait for a response so I continue, "The first time he told me about you, he said he aspired to be like you. I hear you were quite a great leader in your time. Cherished by many, kind and fair to all."
"Long ago days that are buried six feet under now."
"No," I shake my head. "In a way I say they live. You started something. You're here now and with your son. You have your son and Jerias his father. And your legacy, your kindness and bravery. Your..." I pause a moment daring myself to say the word, "hope... lives in him. It never died. You never died. Jerias's love for you never died."
Markys remain silent still for some time, but I watch his features change. A look of content, of acceptance. The reassurance he'd desired was finally given to him in a way I could tell. And he sits up then looks at me finally before giving a reassured nod, "Thank you."
I smile back then clamp my hands together tightly. It almost seemed though, at this point that hope was all we had.
"Are you scared?" He ask me.
"Yes," I utter out, my voice suddenly breathless at the endless possibilities running in my head, "So so scared. If- if I lose him I..."
"That's okay," Markys tells me, "It's okay. I... I am too."
I lick my dry lips, "But... I like to believe that a little fear can coexist with bravery. One can be scared and brave... right?"
Markys smiles wide and I noice how it was very youthful. A genuine smile that carried a sense of faith, "Certainly."
"Well," I shrug smiling suddenly, "All I know is these guys are not about to do anything to Jerias."
"Right?" Markys replies sarcastically with a tinge of sadness.
"Oh yes... I can and will raise hell over this place. Seriously. Try me. I'll find a way."
Markys laughs then shakes his head, "If only it were that easy."
Grinning I breath out heavily. If only? If Jerias dies, I'd go mad and wreck everything by accident on purpose.
"You think we'll win the case? You think it'll be over after all of this? Everything, and Jerias will live. You think we have enough cause-"
"We have enough..." I whisper and a small secret smile spreads across my face, "We've more than enough. We have... we have proof," I look at him, "It's not about the bond completely but it still takes part. Its was what made Jerias and I attracted to each other to each other from the start right? We need proof that it exists, that it works between the human and nosferatu. I have that, we have everything trust me. We'll win. Everything will be fine," whispering more to myself now I say, "It has to be."
"Right," Markys sound relieved a bit, "Right. Then tomorrow... tomorrow we fight. And we win. We end this."
"Yes."
"Good." He stand then walks to the door sharing one last smile he tells me, "You make my son happy I can tell. The comfort he has with you is incomparable to anyone else. He's lucky. So," he clears his throat, "I uh wanted to thank you."
I laugh, "Thank the car accident that killed me," the joke comes out smoothly and Markys laughs as well, but then I add more heavily, "Thank fate..." I whisper.
In return. Markys gives an agreed nod his golden eyes buried in something terrific and terrifying. The overall wrath of emotions, or expectations arriving into more simple singular emotions, portrayed in confused and yet such bright, bright eyes. And then he shuts the door after wishing me a goodnight.
I don't sleep though. Not much anyways, it was five about or four hours at most.
And the next day begins. The fight begins.
Day 1
The car ride seemed far too short, despite it being a well given forty minutes, it felt like not enough time was offered too prepare oneself. To ponder on how one was actually feeling, or prepare what to say, how to react, how to contain the berserk rise of anger. But in the end for a moment such as this could there really ever be a time when one was ready. When I was ready. This... this is simply one of those moments where a person must acknowledge the torment and accept that you will never be able to prepare for it. You just face it. Head on.
And the realization of that hit me when I arrived at the conclusion of my first meeting with those men. There face I must admit came as a blur. My in denial self causing me to, yet again, be not accepting of the truth, of what was happening. The high chairs made finely for them in the chestnut wood and shining gold, made me wonder if these men thought themselves to high to ever even take this whole things seriously, to ever even consider taking us and what we had to say seriously, changing the law. Letting Jerias free.
Jerias who I could not see here. Not siting with one of the men behind the tall shining wooden curve of their long table. Not even at the lower table across from those men where I was supposed to be seated. He was no where to be found and I knew he was still being imprisoned, still being held for faulty claims. For cruel intentions.
"Ines?" Arie stand next to me. And I look at her shocked. Her hand comes around my own and she squeezes it, giving me a small sad smile. I clutch my large dress then. The Victorian styled thing new to me all over again since I haven't worn it in so long. And the corset added with my anxiety made it all the more harder to merely just breath.
"Come on. We can do this. Let's sit," she nods towards the lower tables nudging me to continue walking. I hadn't realized I'd stopped so abruptly down the aisle.
I clear my throats and do as said but before sitting I turn to Arie, "Can you do it?" I whispered to her. Today, she would be the one to speak first, the beginning of defending our case, "Are you scared? Are you okay?"
"I'm not okay." She shakes head, "But... this is for you," her eyes a warm and sincere when she speaks to me, "Jerias is like my family and a brother to Ronan. So this is for him too. I'll be fine." She looks at me then nods suddenly and she speaks again and it's for herself I can tell, "I'll be fine."
"Okay..." I offer a reassuring but most obvious forced smile, "Good."
It was day one.
And Arie had faced those men with more confidence than I thought I'd ever have. She spoke diligently, and with genuineness. It was almost a relief. But those men heard all there was about the bond between a human and nosferatu. They heard about how it was deeper already, recollected the whispers of how it was just so much more powerful than anything they'd ever heard of or knew of. They've felt it too. I could see it in their eyes.
The understanding.
But their words varied so differently from the truths they already knew. The secrets they kept hidden were buried deeply, safely into their hearts for themselves to know only.
So they disagreed. They claimed to be unconvinced, that its become draining hearing the same constant thing of humans and nosferatus being together.
"But it's been proven, so many time in history before!" Arie yells, "How come there are so many cases of the bonds occurring if it's so impossible for it to ever happen? Because it can happen!"
"It can not!" One man yells, one man I can recall being Nikolai, "Those bond would be a cancer to our kind. A downfall. Humans are nothing compared to us. What do they have? What gifts do they possess? We're stronger, faster, smarter! They shouldn't even be allowed to mingle with our kind. Now look what this Amaranthine mess had gotten us. There's a reason the races cannot bare child. It isn't meant to be! It will never be meant to be! It the laws of nature. Amaranthine bindings really should exist no longer!"
"He's right." Another agrees much more calmly "Humans and Nosferatus can't procreate. That in itself should say a lot."
"But the love one can feel another..." Arie says almost desperately, "That cannot be a lie-" she breaths in suddenly then looks at the men carefully, "And I know damn well more than half of you men know that."
Not one of them say anything, the expressions they carry clearly show that they were rendered speechless by Arie's bold claim. She waits a little while longer before looking down at the papers in her hand, "The bond, Amaranthine bonding... is a blood bonding as you know. The way it works is by connecting two people, whether they may be different or not, it binds them, so deeply they can eventually become the binding that two nosferatus would share with one another. And eventually surpass it. It something the Beings have claimed them selves, and if they are the creation of our kind, of all our bindings and they admit the Amaranthine bonding to be more than we truly know to be. Then shouldn't that be enough for a person to believe."
"It should be, but human are so much beneath us," Nikolai seems almost to laugh when he says his, "It'd be ruling out complete logic to deny that fact. It'd be a willingness to taint our race if we were to merge such close relations with their kind."
"My kind you mean." Arie sounds pissed.
The men speak again. And it goes back in forth for as long as I remember. Arie exchanges papers with them, documentaries, research papers gather from others. Clear proof of what we speak. But those men...
I'd be a fool to say they'd ever admit to believing anything Arie was telling them.
Day 2
Today was different. It took us only yesterdays interaction to realize we needed to get rid of those men. Nikolai, Erin, Ethan, Xaviar, and Jonathan. Those were the same few be men that held on to the belief that Amaranthine bonding should no longer exist. That discreetly built a group of foolishly convinced nosferatus they can take control of all human with out the bonding if they could over through Jerias and Ronan. Those five men took it upon themselves to begin feeding on humans eventually. About forty years ago. The images of the dead bodies they collected were horrifying...
They had began with taking the gypsies of Romania, or those living in the streets. Those who wouldn't be missed, leaving their new found habit unnoticed. And then they grew comfortable. The gained momentum and took to taking more kinds of people. Children with families, parents who had their own parents. Young girls, boys, teens. Anyone and everyone. And they killed so many people.
Animal blood?
They were far to old to live just off of animal blood. Anyone with an ounce of awareness would realize something was up. And it took till now, until today for something to be done. After so many innocent people died.
It's terrifying to know that they planned to do this with many more nosferatus. It would've been a mass murder case. The rise of monsters... I imagined terrors.
Ronan who wasn't with the men of council since he was on the defending side with us, gladly spoke of the crime taking on right under everyone's noses. And they were arrested. Just like that. We had the proof the records. The body's they poorly hid as if to go back visit the masterpiece they created when ever they wanted. We had people willing to speak about the group they were building. We had enough, we had it all.
They tried to lie of course, they remained calm, took to laughing off the so called "ridiculous claims", then they grew outrageous. Started to yell and scream, declaring us all to be removed for trying to pin such horrible lies on them.
It's even horrible knowing it's true if you asked me.
But they were gone now...
So, maybe now we had a better chance at winning.
Maybe I can see Jerias again. I miss him so much, and had yet to hear and info on his disappearance. But it was almost over now... and we had a chance.
I'll see him soon. Tomorrow when they hear my story. When they hear my truth. They'll let him. They'll change the laws, everyone will admit the truth and everything will better then.
Day 3
Today is the last day. And I was going to speak... I was going to explain just how true the Bonding was.
I stood before them. My hand which were previously clenched tightly against my stomach move to rest steadily on the wooden stand.
I smiled to the men, "Good morning council men.
"Good morning Ms. Archer," The tall man says first, the one I remember by Jaxx. Kyanna's husband. The one with the Amaranthine he likes to keep oh so close.
"What is it that you will be addressing today?" Another ask gently. I can sense they are more friendly today. Clearly ashamed for not taking notice of the cruel thing happening right in their council without their knowing. I knew this only because Ronan had beat himself up about it too for the last couple of day. He too was very ashamed of not realizing.
I suppose their friendly demeanor was the aftermath of becoming more humble. More welcoming to the idea of recognizing the truth of Amaranthine bonding too, for they've denied the truths too long.
My heart beats a bit faster at the silver I suddenly witness. The sweet and gentle glimmer of hope.
"Ms. Archer..." the man then again repeats. I look to him again, his extremely dark skin and bright hazel eyes such striking features. I knew him from the day of the ball, one who mad slightly snide jokes about Amaranthine. Senjae, his name was.
"Yes," I smile gently.
"What is it that you'll be a dressing miss?" He repeats. Senjae came from a West African descent. Which was rare. Witches were more like to derive there than nosferatus. Rumor was, nosferatus from West Africa were extra powerful.
"What page would you like us to turn to," he ask this time.
I shake my head, "Uh actually. I'm not going to really be addressing anything. I..." I look down at he images in my hands. Several all copies of the same ones and in the back and explanation of what the image was, "I uh have the documents here actually. Well, there not really documents. Just a little picture is all, I'm mostly here to fill you in on some news I've got." Temporarily I focus my attention from the men to the Beings behind me. All of them were here today. The final day. They were here for support, but most of all for confirmation. I was afraid that without them. No one would believe. After all... a Being was the one to inform me of the unexpected news.
"If I may," I continue, "Can I hand these to each of you."
"Come forth with them then." Jaxx stetches out his hand and I walk quickly to him hand all the papers to him to pass down to the others.
I walk slowly back to the stand.
At first there faces were serious. Their noses scrunched up in confusion, trying to figure of what in the world they were seeing. It took less than a minute for them to realize what they were looking at. Then the looks shifted to, shock and outrage. And disbelief of course. Until finally, they read the back, which confirmed what they were seeing.
They resorted to looking at me in the end. Then the Beings of course. For confirmation just as expected.
"Is this nonsense true!" One demands to know.
"Yes," the Beings nods calmly at the angry man before pulling her hood back to reveal a smile.
"But... this- this is impossible."
"But it isn't." I only say and they remain silent with eyes so wide open I thought their eyeballs would pop out.
"You know... the only way for this to be possible is for the Amaranthine bonding to be just what we've been telling you to this whole time. You all get that right?"
Still there's nothing.
"Do... do you believe me now?"
The atmosphere is heavy while I wait for a response. Their looks of disbelief leaving me feeling overly anxious. Unsure of myself, unsure of whether or not this would truly be enough after all. Some of them kept staring at the picture like they'd just seen a ghost, as if it would change eventually. Like some terrible joke or well thought out illusion.
My heart wavered in my thrumming chest so I grip the edges of my stand and breath out a desperate beg, "Please answer me."
Finally a man who hasn't spoken not once the entire trial says, "Yes."
My lips part but no words come out. I'm too shocked and thrilled to formulate words for a moment, "Yeah? You believe?"
"You'd be a fool not to," a deep tone comes out from another council men, reassuring me. And I realize in that very moment that everything was over.
We won. Jerias could come back home.
"But this is impossible," a young looking man with hair so blond it looked white tried to argue.
"Look at this. This is incredible... this is proof of what we've known all along. It wasn't impossible!" Jaxx the quiet man, had a voice overflowing with happiness, "It was never impossible. We only thought it was but this... this is everything." He looks from the paper to me with eyes so bright I couldn't help but smile, "This is everything." He says again to me.
"Can..." I hesitate a second but push forward with the question anyways, "Will Jerias be released? Can he return back home?"
Jaxx smile drops immediately just enough for me to notice but, he continues with a grin much forced this time, "Of course. We will do what we can."
This time my smile disappears and I shake my head at the unclear response, "What's that mean?"
"Ines-" the Being starts and swoops up next to me.
"No... No, what's that supposed to mean?"
"Ines please," the Being place she'd white hands in my arm with an unbelievable strong grip, "Let me speak with them."
"No! Tell me." I look to the men sitting rigidly in there high chairs.
"All charges will be dropped. All deaths, injuries will be compensated. We'll do our best to fix our grave mistakes... Ms. Archer..." Jaxx meets my gaze for a second too long and says lowly, "I'm sorry."
"Ines." The Beings voice echoes through out the large Victorian room and everyone is silenced. Even the many people who've come faithfully everyday to watch the fate of this case have stopped chattering in the background, "That is enough. You must sit."
I look to the Being who has her hoodie pulled back now. And she nods at me before I do as she says.
"Being," Senjae smiles, "I'd like to thank you for taking some time to come these past few days."
The Being raises her hand dismissing the unnecessary praise, "I'd like to apologize." She begins.
"It's been explained to you already what we've done. Why we couldn't fix it. Why we... chose not to fix it. But it is over now. After all these centuries the true natural orders of our and Amaranthine kinds have been corrected." She clears her threat and looks down, "I wish I knew exactly how to explain it to you all. Everyone here today. Watchers, judgers, listeners... if I'm to be honest... it's very difficult to do. A bond so deep and complex as this one yet so so simple, how could words ever be enough to describe it," the Beings smiles as she seems to remember something, "I must say though, there was a poem the lovely Ms. Archer here wrote that did just that. From her view of course but explained everything nonetheless."
I look away and fiddle with my fingers nervously when I realize what she's talking about. It was the poem I had difficulty writing. The first thing I've ever written in the journal Jerias bought me for my birthday. I wanted to write something for him and me. Something about us...
It may not have been of something entirely sweet.
Oh but it was kind. How gentle it touches thee...
"She wrote of it quite beautifully the treasure you all have with your Amaranthines... I wish only for you to cherish it. Make no mistake by undermining it... the cost taken for all of this." She nods reassuringly, "Know that I understand."
That's when finally I sit up.
And I look around the room. The guards by the door I knew lead to Jerias weren't here right now. For them the case was over. They've moved.
I look to Ronan and Arie sitting to the far left of me in the other side of the room. And I inhale deeply before kicking of my heels. And lifting my large ball gown dress a couple inches off the ground to allow access for my bare feet. And then I'm making a run for it.