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<blockquote data-quote="Drusilia Nailo" data-source="post: 652887" data-attributes="member: 2062">Darkness.&nbsp; As the elf came into consciousness, she realized that she was tied up, in the dark.&nbsp; She was lying on what felt like a pile of rags on the floor.&nbsp; She couldn't remember how she got here.&nbsp; Her head spun, and she felt weak.&nbsp; &nbsp; She heard footsteps approaching, and then was blinded by light.&nbsp; She pressed herself against the floor to try to escape from it, and from the smell of burning lamp oil.&nbsp; &quot;Who?&quot;&quot;So, Drusilia Naïlo,&quot; said a feminine voice, speaking in elven.&nbsp; &quot;What do you think of your current situation, hmm?&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; My name is Drusilia Naïlo, she realized, groggily.&nbsp; And that voice is familiar...&nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;I imagine that you thought your papa would be able to protect you from this happening to you.&nbsp; Well, he's not so invincible after all,&quot; the voice spat.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dru shook her head, confused.&nbsp; &quot;What did I ever do to you?&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; The woman laughed, and then Dru realized who she was.&nbsp; Meris.&nbsp; She had been Dru's primary bodyguard for the past month, while Kennic was off helping Papa, wherever they had been.&nbsp;&nbsp; And then she realized, in a moment of clarity, that there was nothing that she had done to Meris to earn this treatment.&nbsp; It was what Papa had done to Meris.&nbsp; She sighed, closing her eyes.&nbsp; Papa hadn't fallen in love with her.&nbsp; This was why Dru suffered now.&nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;But Tensin,&quot; the woman argued, &quot;You should take the girl into hiding with you.&nbsp; What good is it going to do you to be constantly worried that someone will have found her?&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; Dru pressed her ear against the door to her father's office, where he and Meris argued.&nbsp; She didn't like this Meris woman one bit, and wished that Papa would assign Kennic to her again.&nbsp; But it had been decided that she needed a woman's tutelage, so she was doomed to have Meris as a bodyguard.&nbsp; &nbsp; There was a moment of silence, and then Papa cleared his throat.&nbsp; &quot;Do you mean that you want for me to take you into hiding with me, Meris?&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; A chair creaked, and then Dru heard Meris pacing.&nbsp; &quot;Tensin, I do care about you,&quot; she said with a sigh.&nbsp; &quot;I don't want to be away from you.&nbsp; Don't you see that we would be good together?&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; Papa didn't respond for a moment, and then sighed heavily.&nbsp; &quot;Meris, you are stepping beyond the bounds of our professional relationship.&nbsp; That cannot be.&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; Meris drew in her breath, and then said quietly, &quot;I apologize, sir.&nbsp; My emotions overwhelmed my sense.&nbsp; It will not happen again.&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;See that it does not,&quot; he said stiffly.&nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;So,&quot; said Meris, into Dru's ear.&nbsp; &quot;I am going to make you pay for f***ing up my plans.&quot; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dru shook her head, still groggy from whatever drugs she'd been given.&nbsp; &quot;What plans?&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; Meris snorted.&nbsp; &quot;You are keeping your father from me,&quot; she said.&nbsp; &quot;You keep me from my true love, and from the power that I would share with my husband.&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; Dru couldn't help herself.&nbsp; &quot;Are you completely mad, woman, or have you been chewing kantha leaves?&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; The blow came out of the darkness, rocking Dru's head back viciously.&nbsp; She felt her head smash into the wall, and then was aware of nothing else.&nbsp; &nbsp; Papa and Kennic had left together, despite Dru's protests.&nbsp; &quot;Meris will be here to protect you,&quot; said Kennic soothingly.&nbsp; &quot;Try to like her, child.&nbsp; She's risen in the ranks of the organization...&nbsp; she's one of your father's most trusted people.&nbsp; She will work for you one day.&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; Dru&nbsp; felt serious reservations about that, but nodded anyway, knowing that Kennic would want to think that she would be happy while he was gone.&nbsp; &quot;I'll miss you,&quot; she told him quietly.&nbsp; &quot;You and Papa both,&quot; she added, though Papa was far enough away from her that he wouldn't have been able to hear her.&nbsp; &nbsp; Meris came up behind Dru, putting a hand on her shoulder.&nbsp; &quot;We'll be alright, Kennic,&quot; she said with a smile, digging her nails into Dru's shoulder to still any protests.&nbsp; Won't we, Drusilia?&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; Kennic had not waited for a response from Dru.&nbsp; He smiled, reassured, and then raced to catch up with Papa.&nbsp; Dru watched them leave until she could no longer see them.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Drusilia Nailo, post: 652887, member: 2062"] Darkness. As the elf came into consciousness, she realized that she was tied up, in the dark. She was lying on what felt like a pile of rags on the floor. She couldn't remember how she got here. Her head spun, and she felt weak. She heard footsteps approaching, and then was blinded by light. She pressed herself against the floor to try to escape from it, and from the smell of burning lamp oil. "Who?" "So, Drusilia Naïlo," said a feminine voice, speaking in elven. "What do you think of your current situation, hmm?" My name is Drusilia Naïlo, she realized, groggily. And that voice is familiar... "I imagine that you thought your papa would be able to protect you from this happening to you. Well, he's not so invincible after all," the voice spat. Dru shook her head, confused. "What did I ever do to you?" The woman laughed, and then Dru realized who she was. Meris. She had been Dru's primary bodyguard for the past month, while Kennic was off helping Papa, wherever they had been. And then she realized, in a moment of clarity, that there was nothing that she had done to Meris to earn this treatment. It was what Papa had done to Meris. She sighed, closing her eyes. Papa hadn't fallen in love with her. This was why Dru suffered now. [i]"But Tensin," the woman argued, "You should take the girl into hiding with you. What good is it going to do you to be constantly worried that someone will have found her?" Dru pressed her ear against the door to her father's office, where he and Meris argued. She didn't like this Meris woman one bit, and wished that Papa would assign Kennic to her again. But it had been decided that she needed a woman's tutelage, so she was doomed to have Meris as a bodyguard. There was a moment of silence, and then Papa cleared his throat. "Do you mean that you want for me to take[/i] you[i] into hiding with me, Meris?" A chair creaked, and then Dru heard Meris pacing. "Tensin, I do care about you," she said with a sigh. "I don't want to be away from you. Don't you see that we would be good together?" Papa didn't respond for a moment, and then sighed heavily. "Meris, you are stepping beyond the bounds of our professional relationship. That cannot be." Meris drew in her breath, and then said quietly, "I apologize, sir. My emotions overwhelmed my sense. It will not happen again." "See that it does not," he said stiffly.[/i] "So," said Meris, into Dru's ear. "I am going to make you pay for f***ing up my plans." Dru shook her head, still groggy from whatever drugs she'd been given. "What plans?" Meris snorted. "You are keeping your father from me," she said. "You keep me from my true love, and from the power that I would share with my husband." Dru couldn't help herself. "Are you completely mad, woman, or have you been chewing kantha leaves?" The blow came out of the darkness, rocking Dru's head back viciously. She felt her head smash into the wall, and then was aware of nothing else. [i]Papa and Kennic had left together, despite Dru's protests. "Meris will be here to protect you," said Kennic soothingly. "Try to like her, child. She's risen in the ranks of the organization... she's one of your father's most trusted people. She will work for you one day." Dru felt serious reservations about that, but nodded anyway, knowing that Kennic would want to think that she would be happy while he was gone. "I'll miss you," she told him quietly. "You and Papa both," she added, though Papa was far enough away from her that he wouldn't have been able to hear her. Meris came up behind Dru, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We'll be alright, Kennic," she said with a smile, digging her nails into Dru's shoulder to still any protests. Won't we, Drusilia?" Kennic had not waited for a response from Dru. He smiled, reassured, and then raced to catch up with Papa. Dru watched them leave until she could no longer see them.[/i] [/QUOTE]

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