Rewind, dniweR.
Watch me turn around.
The Earth is spinning the wrong way
and the hourglass is working upside-down.
~Forever Until Tomorrow
Sitting alone, Lydia listened to those around her, pale blues cast down. One eye was nearly swollen shut from the impact she had received only hours before, and all too often she forgot her split lip, wincing in remembrance as she started worrying it with her teeth. A little sore to be sitting up under her own power, she leaned against her staff, hands nervously wringing it, causing skin to chafe a little.
"You may still save yourself yet human. Simply show your pentinence by giving us the names of the others who acted against the Holy Mother's child and tell us where we may locate them."
The silence was nearly deafening.
"Speak now human, it is the last act of mercy you will receive."
More silence. The one addressed would not talk.
"Very well then." Elys' voice, clear, light, and lacking emotion, cut in. "For your crimes against myself, The Sacrosanct and all it stands for, you shall be put to death tomorrow at dawn. I will make an example of you and show your people what happens when I am crossed."
"No!" Brows furrowed, Lydia supported her weight against her staff as she rose to her feet. "M-mother, you can't!"
"Child you will hold your tongue." Elys' voice was sharper now. "It is not your place to speak now, as I have already deemed judgment upon this man."
Brows furrowed, she shook her head. "I.. I.. it was me he attacked Mother! It is my place to speak..." Words were low, rather unsure. At sixteen, she was a rather meek thing. "Death is so harsh... Mother please..."
Elys' voice cut in, interrupting her. Her tone laced with disgust. "Don't beg me like that child. It is unseemly."
"But... he didn't succeed in.. I mean.. why does he have to die..?"
"I can see that I was wrong in thinking you were ready for this..." Elys grew quiet for a moment. "Lydia. Simply because he was not successful in his attempts, that does not nullify the attempt that he and his group made against you. I do not think you really fathom what happened, or what could have happened had your guardian not shown up when she did." There was a brief pause and silence, cut out by the quiet clicking of Elys's heels against the marble floor beneath her feet as she approached Lydia, words coming impassively. "Those men- this man- they would have beaten you even more than they already had. You would have ached, you would have cried, you wouldn't be able to move because your bones would have been broken and shattered. But are you truly naive enough to think they would have stopped there child?" Lydia felt Elys' cold hand grip her chin and jerk up so she was facing her, even if she could not see her. Lydia winced faintly at the gesture, as that was a spot on her face that had been hit. She winced at the words, apathetic from her mother's mouth. "You would beg for mercy, you would beg for them to simply kill you, but they wouldn't have listened. They would have ripped your clothes off, humiliated you, raped you, taken their turns with you until they were bored of you. And then?" Elys pulled Lydia closer, her face so close Lydia could feel her breath against her skin. "Then they might have been kind enough to kill you."
Frowning, Lydia tried pulling away from her mother, tried turning her head away from her, yet Elys' grip was firm, keeping her just where she was at. "Tell me, what were you doing sneaking away from Noreen?" A demand, not a question.
"I.. I.." Lydia was unable to find her words, and squeaked faintly when Elys' grip tightened, hands once again working on that staff. "I wanted to go to the gardens!"
"Hm." A noncommittal, near bored sound from Elys. Her hand drifted away from Lydia's face as she moved away. "And tell me Noreen, what is your excuse for not watching her properly and letting her get away from you?"
"I have none Holy Mother." The woman's voice was low, remorseful.
"I did not think so..." Heels clicked lightly as Elys moved around the room. "For your punishment you will be imprisoned in the dungeon for seven days and two meals shall be allotted to you every day. And for your punishment Lydia, you will be confined to your room for one month. Should you get any ideas to sneak out know this; I will make Noreen's punishment heavier, and I will punish those stationed outside your room. Perhaps if you become aware that the consequences of your rather selfish actions have an effect on others and not just yourself... Then you will learn."
Absolutely defeated, Lydia's eyes closed in an effort to fight back the tears forming as her head lowered. She offered her mother a very faint, very hesitant nod. She knew anything she had to say could only worsen the situation.
"You, escort Noreen and the prisoner to the dungeon. I will escort my daughter to her room personally."
Watch me turn around.
The Earth is spinning the wrong way
and the hourglass is working upside-down.
~Forever Until Tomorrow
Sitting alone, Lydia listened to those around her, pale blues cast down. One eye was nearly swollen shut from the impact she had received only hours before, and all too often she forgot her split lip, wincing in remembrance as she started worrying it with her teeth. A little sore to be sitting up under her own power, she leaned against her staff, hands nervously wringing it, causing skin to chafe a little.
"You may still save yourself yet human. Simply show your pentinence by giving us the names of the others who acted against the Holy Mother's child and tell us where we may locate them."
The silence was nearly deafening.
"Speak now human, it is the last act of mercy you will receive."
More silence. The one addressed would not talk.
"Very well then." Elys' voice, clear, light, and lacking emotion, cut in. "For your crimes against myself, The Sacrosanct and all it stands for, you shall be put to death tomorrow at dawn. I will make an example of you and show your people what happens when I am crossed."
"No!" Brows furrowed, Lydia supported her weight against her staff as she rose to her feet. "M-mother, you can't!"
"Child you will hold your tongue." Elys' voice was sharper now. "It is not your place to speak now, as I have already deemed judgment upon this man."
Brows furrowed, she shook her head. "I.. I.. it was me he attacked Mother! It is my place to speak..." Words were low, rather unsure. At sixteen, she was a rather meek thing. "Death is so harsh... Mother please..."
Elys' voice cut in, interrupting her. Her tone laced with disgust. "Don't beg me like that child. It is unseemly."
"But... he didn't succeed in.. I mean.. why does he have to die..?"
"I can see that I was wrong in thinking you were ready for this..." Elys grew quiet for a moment. "Lydia. Simply because he was not successful in his attempts, that does not nullify the attempt that he and his group made against you. I do not think you really fathom what happened, or what could have happened had your guardian not shown up when she did." There was a brief pause and silence, cut out by the quiet clicking of Elys's heels against the marble floor beneath her feet as she approached Lydia, words coming impassively. "Those men- this man- they would have beaten you even more than they already had. You would have ached, you would have cried, you wouldn't be able to move because your bones would have been broken and shattered. But are you truly naive enough to think they would have stopped there child?" Lydia felt Elys' cold hand grip her chin and jerk up so she was facing her, even if she could not see her. Lydia winced faintly at the gesture, as that was a spot on her face that had been hit. She winced at the words, apathetic from her mother's mouth. "You would beg for mercy, you would beg for them to simply kill you, but they wouldn't have listened. They would have ripped your clothes off, humiliated you, raped you, taken their turns with you until they were bored of you. And then?" Elys pulled Lydia closer, her face so close Lydia could feel her breath against her skin. "Then they might have been kind enough to kill you."
Frowning, Lydia tried pulling away from her mother, tried turning her head away from her, yet Elys' grip was firm, keeping her just where she was at. "Tell me, what were you doing sneaking away from Noreen?" A demand, not a question.
"I.. I.." Lydia was unable to find her words, and squeaked faintly when Elys' grip tightened, hands once again working on that staff. "I wanted to go to the gardens!"
"Hm." A noncommittal, near bored sound from Elys. Her hand drifted away from Lydia's face as she moved away. "And tell me Noreen, what is your excuse for not watching her properly and letting her get away from you?"
"I have none Holy Mother." The woman's voice was low, remorseful.
"I did not think so..." Heels clicked lightly as Elys moved around the room. "For your punishment you will be imprisoned in the dungeon for seven days and two meals shall be allotted to you every day. And for your punishment Lydia, you will be confined to your room for one month. Should you get any ideas to sneak out know this; I will make Noreen's punishment heavier, and I will punish those stationed outside your room. Perhaps if you become aware that the consequences of your rather selfish actions have an effect on others and not just yourself... Then you will learn."
Absolutely defeated, Lydia's eyes closed in an effort to fight back the tears forming as her head lowered. She offered her mother a very faint, very hesitant nod. She knew anything she had to say could only worsen the situation.
"You, escort Noreen and the prisoner to the dungeon. I will escort my daughter to her room personally."