Years of Erde - Shattered Hopes
_____________________________________________________________Chapter 1 - FenrirWell, here I am. Stuck on a boat with my younger sibling, Bridgette, and a whole bunch of stuck up old guys. Actually, they were nobles from the other kingdoms, and there was only one who wasn’t pushing the age of fifty. Though I still wanted to kill the other dude, whom was probably my age, or near it. He couldn’t have been thirty, and he definitely wasn’t a teen like Bridgette.
Either way, he was staring at me constantly. The friggen dude hasn’t even blinked! Now I’m used to being stared at, really I am, but this was ridiculous. I swear I saw him lick his lips like five times. Geez, the mere thought is enough to send me into a friggen coma. Trust me, this dude was nowhere near what any woman would consider to be attractive. In fact, I’m really sure blind women would reject this dude. Buck teeth, big ears, and a nose to match. Not exactly my type. . .especially considering his hair was blonde with red tips.
Granted, I have red streaks in my long light brown hair, but it looks good on me.
Though after that, well, incident might be the best word to describe it, everyone was trying to act like him. Dressing like him. Doing their hair like him. Just about anything to make me love them like I loved him.
In reality no one could ever compare to him. He was the only one I’ve actually cared for, but I guess in the end that didn’t go both ways. I’ll never truly understand why he was so cold to me that day. I’ll never truly understand why he didn’t love me in the end. That doesn’t matter too much now though. It’s been six years, and I’ve moved on.
At least, I think I have, or at least I’ve tried. They say the heart heals with time. So after six years I should be free of him.
We’ll see soon. After all, with every foot, inch, centimeter this boat gets closer to Castle Wolven, the closer I get to him.
After six years apart, he probably won’t remember, or care, about me anyway. Though I’ve never heard any rumors of him getting married, or even dating someone. Though the Grey Republique hasn’t been doing anything for the past six years. Which would also be why I’m on this god forsaken boat. We have to see what’s “wrong.”
Quite personally, I know him, and he’s most likely to give us a warm welcoming of swords at everyone’s throats.
Possibly, he won’t, but if the rumors I’ve heard are true . . . then he’s apparently changed, big time. So I guess in the end, its better that things ended like they did. However, he could have done it a little more gently. Instead of destroying me with one fell swoop.
Just because Bridgette managed to reassemble the pieces doesn’t mean the pain went away. It merely means that my being didn’t die.
Maybe that’s what happened to him after his mother’s death. I can’t even imagine being upset if my mother, or father died. Though, I did hear his father committed suicide soon after. The maids know everything, so eavesdropping for info usually works in most cases.
I guess I’ll never understand why he did what he did. Really, at this point I didn’t want to know. It’s been six years, so I’ll hold my head up high, and get through this with as little interaction with him as possible.
Though to really understand what I’m talking about here we’re going to have to go back thirteen years. To when we first met. When he was twelve, and I was ten. To when Bridgette was only five years old. All the way back to the beginning.
To the time when I first met Fenrir Wier Twizen . . .
~ Thirteen Years Ago ~
“ELIZABETH! Get out here! NOW!”The little light brown haired ten-year-old girl quickly rushed out of her room, per her father’s demands. The red streaks in her long hair showing vibrantly in the small hallway’s lighting.
Today was the day the boy was coming to live with Elizabeth and her family, and she couldn’t wait. It would be like having an older brother. Which was something she always wanted. Mainly because it was no fun being the oldest to her. She didn’t like the responsibilities her baby-sitter/teacher had told her about.
So she was happy about having someone older then her in the house that wasn’t an adult. Which she said as, “adulpt.” Considering she was missing her two front teeth as of right now, so certain words didn’t come out right. Especially any word where the second letter was a “n.” Like, “animal,” or “enemy.”
Elizabeth finally finished running through the wide open doors that lead from the main hallway to the massive lobby in the front of the White Keep. Her father was currently pacing around waiting for the new boy, and everyone else was waiting silently in their places with him. Some of the servants were scrambling around making last minutes touches. There were a couple maids and some of the kitchen crew. Elizabeth’s teacher Rektor was also standing there, waiting. Probably thinking about when he’ll get to smoke that pipe of his again. Elizabeth hated that pipe, a lot.
The maids soon after vanished when news of the new boy walking up the pathway reached them. Everyone in the surrounding area dispersed. Except of course those who were supposed to be there. They were forced to basically stand in a line by order of age. Oddly enough, Rektor was third in line. . .
Elizabeth noticed just how hard her father was trying to impress one twelve year old. It seemed strange to her. Working this hard for one kid. Though, her father was going to the point where everyone had basically been forced to put on their absolute best cloths. She was forced to wear a white puffy gown that was specially made for her the day before. Like most of the gowns that were made for her, it was highly uncomfortable. Even her little sister Bridgette was itching like crazy from the gown that was put on her. It was a pale yellow floor length gown with about five or six petticoats underneath. So possibly he was just doing this to be nice.
Bridgette was standing in her spot messing around with her gown. Which if you really knew Regias, you would realize that doing something like that would not be good. If her father saw her messing around with it like that, well, lets say Bridgette Lea Viral might not exist. So Elizabeth went over and took her little sisters hand which would keep her from scratching. Which would also keep her father from doing anything to her. Though, he probably wouldn’t try anything with a guest coming, or so we hope.
Basically, Regias Viral was not a nice person. In fact, with the way he treated his children, he shouldn’t have any at all. Why Relana, Elizabeth’s and Bridgette’s mother, even married him in the first place was a mystery. Though you could tell she wasn’t happy most of the time. Relana wasn’t bad person. Even as a mother she wasn’t horrible, but she is just too afraid to do anything about her power-crazed husband. Possibly, Regias Viral was different before, though that wasn’t likely in this case. They say people can change, but Regias was too corrupt to have not been that way from the start.
They stood there silently together. Everyone but Regias was just looking around aimlessly. Regias, however, was staring at the huge black wooden double doors. You could argue that he hasn’t blinked the entire time since he started.
Though finally his staring contest with a door ended as they opened to reveal a twelve-year-old boy. He was much, much taller then Elizabeth and Bridgette combined together, and he had black hair with a bright arctic blue coloring at the tips that matched his icy blue eyes.
Everyone just stood there and sort of stared at the new guest that was coming to live with them. Regias was the only one glaring at the poor kid. It didn’t seem to phase him however. They both seemed to have the same distant cold energy coming off of them. Like the once nice temperature in the room dropped fifty degrees. Maybe Regias thought the kid was going to somehow kill them all.
Though the reason as to why he was sent here was a bit foggy to him, and he never really liked the Grey Republique that much in the first place. Which was –obviously- where the boy was from. He was sent by his father to the White Kingdom as a ward to Regias. Though why anyone would put their child through that is a mystery.
So after the ‘who can freeze out the other one longer’ contest going on between Regias and the boy, the large doors in the white marbled lobby closed behind them and Regias introduced him with the biggest, cheesy, fake smile ever recorded in history, “This is Fenrir Twizen everyone. He’s going to be living with us for awhile.” Putting a colder, almost malicious, tone on awhile. Making it seem like he was going to hurt Fenrir if he stayed too long. Though that was probably the purpose in the first place.
Fenrir merely ignored him while shrugging at everyone as a sort of “hello.” Some servants ran out and took that as a key to start taking his stuff up to his new room. There was one thing you could automatically tell though, Fenrir Twizen did not want to be there.
Though he didn’t really have a choice. It was come or be thrown out. So he decided to come and stay with the Viral’s. Even though he basically hated them with every fiber of his being.
Part of the whole reason he was sent there was to “unite” the Grey Republique and The White Kingdom, so they wouldn’t get into a huge war. Even though the Grey Republique could squash the White Kingdom without even breaking a sweat.
Little did Fenrir know, he had a much more important reason for being there, and that in the end, he might not hate it so much. . .
Finally, Regias introduced everyone and they were lead to the dining room. It looked like most of the rooms in the White Keep. White marble floor, big chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and furniture made out of oak wood. Though occasionally, you would see a piece of furniture with a white marble top. However, this usually only happens in the bedrooms.
There was silence during the whole meal. Though that’s not out of the ordinary. At one point, Elizabeth tried to say something, but then was scolded by her father ‘for asking such a stupid question.’
Life in the White Keep was not like what Regias Viral made everyone in the kingdom believe. It was much more ‘stay quiet, keep your feelings to yourself and don’t ever talk about your life here with anyone,’ then what he had portrayed to everyone who lived outside. Which was ‘we’re one big happy family!’
When in reality, the closest they got to being a family was eating at the table every night. No matter what. Basically, living in the White Keep was like being in a dungeon without anyone else. You’re just left there to slowly decay all by yourself. Having any kind of personality other then “my life is horrible” was frowned upon, being loud in any way got you locked in your room for about a week, saying the word “fun” in the Viral household was like saying “Carcaroth” any where else, and being happy was like murdering someone, punishable by death.
Though, after Elizabeth went outside the castle walls for the first time in her life, she saw things differently. She wanted to be out there. Most people that she saw were poor, but they were happy. Always smiling, or laughing. Working to barely pay the bills for their family, but still happy. Fathers didn’t hit their children if they fell, or accidentally broke something. Mothers actually played with their children. Elizabeth wanted that more then anything else, and she was going to try her hardest to get it. No matter what.
So now that she has someone else here, whom isn’t too young to create actual sentences, she decided that it was time to put her plan into action. However, she wasn’t sure if Fenrir was going to be too responsive to the plan. Her chances were slim to none, but she needed a friend. Somebody to talk to about what she had saw, and what she wants. What she so desperately needs. A loving family.
Keeping that in mind, Elizabeth decided to approach Fenrir in a friendly kind of way. Since she had already figured out her plan during dinner she could get on it right away. Which she happily did. . .
xx~xx
Elizabeth skipped down the silent hallways to Fenrir’s room. They were dimly lit, as usual, with random end tables along the walls. Most of which had some sort of plant on them. Occasionally, you would see a small dip in the wall which was about four feet wide, and maybe a foot into the wall. They always had some kind of decorations in them. From a chair, to more end tables, to just random stuff they decided to put in.
Most everyone in the castle had already gone to sleep. Probably even Fenrir had. So being quiet was most definitely important. If she woke anyone up they would first yell at her, and then take her to her room.
Her father put Fenrir on the far left side of the castle. So besides him there was no one there, and there was a reason for that.
The rooms on the far left side of the castle were the rooms that were “bad rooms.” As she heard her father say when many of the guests came over for balls, ect. Even though technically those rooms weren’t bad. You could definitely say they weren’t so extravagant as the other ones, but they weren’t bad.
Being the ten-year-old she was, Elizabeth merely figured her father was having a better room made for Fenrir, and this was only temporary.
Still, as of now she didn’t care too much. It made it easier to sneak to his room to talk to him. Which she was going to do, even if he went to sleep already.
She giggled as she reached the room and the door creaked open revealing a sleeping Fenrir in bed. Now was the time for the fun part; Waking a twelve-year-old up.
At first there was silence while Elizabeth silently crawled to the right side of his queen side bed with him sleeping on the left. Then suddenly there were loud angry cries coming from a rudely awoken Fenrir Twizen. Considering that she was practically jumping on top of him no one could really blame him for being so mad.
As Fenrir raged on, Elizabeth just rolled around on the right side of his bed giggling furiously. Even though he found this far from funny. She apologized quickly saying, “I am sworry.”
Yet again, from her two front teeth being missing she couldn’t say “sorry” correctly.
Fenrir rolled his eyes at her apology and tried to go back asleep only to be jumped on again. This time she landed right in his lap with a huge grin on her face, “Sooooo. . .what is your name?”
He looked at her, probably trying to decide whether she was actually serious about her question or not, and removed her from his lap, setting her back on the ground, “You already know my name.”
She pouted and shook her head, “No I do knots!”
Fenrir looked at her, dumb-struck, “You do. . .knots?”
Now he was just playing around with the little girl’s bad English. He knew that she meant to say “not” instead of “knots,” but he really couldn’t give up the chance to bully an annoying ten-year-old. After all, she did barge into his room so she could wake him up for no other reason to ask his name.
“HMPH!” She huffed with tears in her eyes, a.k.a. one of her most well known tricks for getting just about anyone to do anything she wanted them to, “Twell me or I will cryyyyy.”
Fenrir sighed, and opened his mouth to tell her what you would’ve thought was his name, but instead was a simple answer of, “No.”
Her bottom lip quivered, partly because of her little ploy, and partly because he wouldn’t tell her.
“Tell me!” She pleaded, climbing back onto his lap.
He grabbed her again. His grip around her small waist only getting tighter as she desperately tried to wiggle her way out. After opening his door he set her back on the ground outside of his room leaving a big enough crack that he could clearly see her, but not big enough for her to squeeze her way back in the room.
“Kid, I’m not telling you my name anytime soon. Now go back to bed where you belong.” He said, calmly while he closed the door for a few seconds waiting for her to stop pouting and leave.
Sighing, he found his way back to his bed in the almost pitch-black room. Soon after the girl left, Fenrir heard loud footsteps coming from the hall, footsteps that even the biggest ten-year-old couldn't make
He heard someone yelling, he figured it was most likely a male from the deep voice, then a loud thud nearby and whimpering. He knew the whimper, he heard it about five seconds ago.
All three sounds got closer, until he knew who they belonged to. Regias Viral and the annoying creature who barged into his room not too long ago, Elizabeth Viral.
Fenrir cracked the door open slightly to see what exactly was going on. Regias was. . .hitting her. . .but why? Sure, she was out way past her bedtime, but that doesn’t mean she deserves to be beaten. At least not like that. He couldn’t believe anyone could abuse their kid like that.
If Fenrir had just not kicked Elizabeth out of his room two minutes later this wouldn’t have been happening. Not to a poor little kid at least. Even if he had just gone with her to make sure she went back to her room like he should’ve. He could’ve stopped this, but if he goes out now she’ll just get kicked around worse next time.
After five minutes or so Regias moved from beating poor little Elizabeth. He was muttering something about her being pathetic, and stupid, which only made Fenrir want to beat his ass more.
Granted, Fenrir had only known Elizabeth for a couple hours now, and she was more annoying then having a twenty rocks stuck in your shoe, but there’s no way she deserved that.
Then suddenly he felt very bad for picking on her earlier, but he didn’t know about that.
Turns out, Regias Viral was much worse then his father lead him on to believe. Considering his father mentioned nothing about him being a drunk crack-addict who beats his children, or at least one of them. Fenrir hoped he wouldn’t beat a five-year-old. Though you never really know until you see it happen.
As far as he could tell by just looking at Elizabeth she wasn’t too badly scuffed up. She was going to have some major bruises though. Some of them were already starting to form. Regias couldn’t have been that drunk, considering hit it in areas that could be easily covered by any item of clothing. Maybe he was a bit smarter then Fenrir originally thought.
Fenrir walked out of his room and over to Elizabeth. She wasn’t too far away from his room now. He figured she probably was running up the hall when she met up with her father. Which would explain why the thuds were originally coming down from the hall.
Once there, Fenrir gently grabbed the little girl in his arms, being careful not to touch the bruises and scrapes. She was crying, and you could easily tell that she was scared, but you couldn’t blame her. She had just been abused by the person who’s supposed to be taking care of her.
“It’s ok now Elizabeth.” He whispered, gently stroking her long brown hair, trying to get her to calm down.
She sniffed and looked up at him, wiping the tears away from her red puffy eyes, “It-it wa-s-s my fw-al-l-l-t.”
Fenrir shook his head. There was just no way that she did anything bad enough to deserve that. It wasn’t her fault. . .
“. . .I gw-o-o-ot in hi-s w-a-a-ay aga–a-ai-n.” Elizabeth continued between sobs.
Elizabeth is at the age where most of us believe that adults, like our parents, are never wrong. However, as most of us know, this is not necessarily true. Fenrir, unlike Elizabeth, knew this. Being two years older, Fenrir knows that adults are wrong too sometimes. In this case, Regias was definitely wrong, and poor Elizabeth thought it was her fault. Getting in someone’s way, no matter who it is, does not earn a beating.
Fenrir sighed, and Elizabeth calmed down after a couple minutes or so. They were still in the dimly lit hallway together. Some of the end tables were knocked down, and there was dirt from the plants scattered everywhere. You could tell that she had been pushed into some of that. They white gown now had random spots of light brown dirt everywhere. Thankfully, there was no blood. Possibly, the rampage sounded worse then it actually was.
“Elizabeth,” Fenrir started, “It’s time you went to bed, ok?”
She just nodded as a reply.
It was strange. She was so happy before, and now she won’t even look up. She just kept staring at the ground with a blank expression. Not that you could really blame her after that.
“I’m going to walk you back to your room, ok?” Fenrir asked, trying to be nice, even though he was going to do it whether she wanted him to or not.
She just nodded again.
This made Fenrir sighed again. What Regias did wasn’t right, so in a way, it was up to him to undo it. Maybe this was part of the reason why he was sent to the White Keep in the first place.
Then again, if his father knew about this, why did he think that he could stop it? Fenrir knew how to fight a bit already, but he can’t stand up to a whole bunch of guards on his ass yet, and he hardly believed hat Regias would fight him by himself.
Elizabeth stood there until Fenrir grabbed her hand and started leading her through the hallways to her room, which he actually knew where it was. He wasn’t quite sure why he did.
Her room was on the other side of the castle. The one with the drawings scattered on the floor everywhere. Really it was the only one that had caught his attention while he was shown around the castle like some stupid dog. Finding out that a ten year old had done all of those drawings was a bit weird. Considering they weren’t random scribbles.
The door to her room was still open. He figured she was the one who probably kept it open all the time, because everyone else’s was closed, and usually locked.
He picked her up and set her on her huge king size bed. Her room was about fifty times better then his. That was probably on purpose.
Fenrir had spent about twelve hours with Regias Viral and he already hated him.
He smiled quickly and tucked her in really tight. That way if she decided to come into his room again she would forget the thought before she even could slip out of her blankets.
Once she was comfortable and had quit squirming around in the blankets because they hurt her already formed bruises somehow, Fenrir started leaving the room. His extremely tight tucking in job was ruined a long time ago. He figured she probably wasn’t going to be leaving that room anyways.
“Elizabeth?” Fenrir whispered just before making his way out of her bedroom door.
She looked over to the door at him, just nodding again.
“My name’s Fenrir.”
That sentence was the only thing to make Elizabeth Noelle Viral smile after that incident that night. She had gotten what she wanted for the most part. A friend.
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Ok, some may remember me from my early fan fiction, "Hidden Truths" and if you do I'm gonna beg you to forget that story. It was, and still is, written horribly, haha. We all have to start somewhere though.
Anyways, this is my current project, and I'm looking for CnC, so any comments are more then welcome. Tear it apart if you'd like, cause honestly that's what I want you to do. Well, tear it apart if you actually see something wrong with it, lol.
I'm getting tired of hearing friends tell me everything I write is perfect, so I'll let some random strangers read it and see what they think.
So CnC away, thanks.
P.S - I realize there isn't much detail, and there's a reason for that. I'll explain later. Also, I realize the name "Carcaroth" is often assoicated with LoTR, but in this case it's not being used like that. Honestly, the name is being used from there, but the character is different.
Oh and one more PS, I also realize that "Fenrir Twizen" is Jub Jub376 RP character, but I know him and he knows I'm using him.
