The truth unfolds...

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CHAPTER XIII

"It's okay..." I assured myself, "it's okay."

I looked at my reflection in the clear brook and wiped the blood trickling down my chin. It's almost been three years since tou-san died, and I've been staying with Raizen ever since. He didn't use to be like this. He used to be so kind and gentle...but he has changed some how. The wounds on my swollen arms are still aching, I dipped my bloody hands in the water and washed them. It stings as the icy water touched it, making me wince in pain, as I tremble regardless of the thick blanket I wore around my body. But...

"It's okay, Raizen's just having one of those days." I leaned closer, my tears dripping on the reflection in the brook. "Everything will be back to normal, I know..."

I closed my eyes wondering how many times I have said this to myself. Why did he have to change? Why does he have to hurt me? Doesn't he love me anymore? The last was the hardest. I'm afraid of what the answer might be. I wiped my eyes and looked at the reflection once more, Mayef was suddenly behind me.

"Mayef!" I said, startled.

"Fera! My goodness, what happened to you?!" he asked, his voice full of concern.

"I-it's nothing..." I stammered, thinking of an excuse. "I...I just fell off the stairs..."

Mayef stared at me with his huge green eyes. They read right through me. I looked away.

"It's Raizen again, isn't it?" I kept my gaze down, afraid he might see the tears in my eyes. Mayef tore a strip of cloth from his tunic and dipped it in the water. He then knelt beside me and started nursing my wounds.

"How can you let him do this to you, Fera?" he asked as he gently rubbed the blood off my face, "You are much more powerful than him, how can you let him hurt you?" I kept my gaze on the ground, embarrassed.

"It was my fault anyway..." I whimpered back, "I should have been there when he arrived..."

"You're no slave who should wait on him hand and foot, you know." he replied with a frown.

I couldn't answer back. I looked at my reflection instead. The dark bruises a contrast to my pale skin. Thinking back now, I couldn't believe that Raizen was the same person I met three years ago. That I have given everything up to be with him, just to feel his wrath day and night.

"C'mon, we'd better head back before Raizen gets back." said Mayef as he gently placed his hand on my shoulder. I quickly pulled away, the wounds on my back were still aching. He looked at me, a little startled.

"Fera, let me see your back." he said, pulling the blanket away from me.

"No..!" I almost screamed, "I'm fine...I-I have to go back now..."

I tried to move away, holding the blanket tightly, trying to stand though my body could barely take my weight. Mayef stared at me, then jerked at the blanket so suddenly that I fell back on my feet, screaming as the sudden pull reopened some of my wounds. I tried to pull it back, but my arms finally gave in. There I was before him, the blanket upon my lap as I tried to cover myself with my swollen arms. Tears of shame started to flow from my eyes.

Mayef was silent. A dark expression in his face. His fists trembling with rage. He stared at the deep cuts that covered my body and the swolen bruises. At the dry blood which clung to my raw flesh.

"Fera..." he whispered, trying hard not to hurt me as he held me in his arms, "How could he do this to you?" I was silent. I didn't know the reason either.

He ripped another strip of cloth from his tunic and tried to clean my wounds. I winced in pain with each of his efforts. He looked at me with a frown of concern. His eyes clouding over. He looked away and dipped the cloth in the water again. The red liquid spread through the clear stream as he rinsed it and went back to my wounds.

"How can you still stay with him, Fera? All he ever does is hurt you." he asked a little while later, his voice trembling a little.

"I don't know." I answered earnestly. "I guess I just love him."

"Does he love you?" he suddenly asked, looking me straight in the eye. His eyes were brimming with tears which he tried to hold back.

"He said he loved me..." I said defensively.

"Things change." said he. "Why don't you just leave him?" I was silent.

"I have no where else to go..." I finally replied with a whisper. Mayef suddenly faced me, his eyes begging and full of sorrow.

"Come with me!" he pleaded, "I'll never hurt you, I promise, I never will!" he held my hand against his, waiting for my reply, but I was dumbfounded.

"What about Raizen?" I asked when I found my voice. "I can never leave him...what if..."

"We can go far away where he can never reach us." he touched my lips, trembling, his pine eyes still locked with mine. "He will never hurt you again."

"But..." I tried to think of a reason but couldn't find any. "I'm sorry Mayef, But I can't go with you." said I, looking away from those beautiful yet sorrowful eyes.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Because I love Raizen, and no matter what he does to me, no matter how many times he hurts me, I would still continue doing so 'till the day I die." with that, I stood and turned away. Mayef was suddenly by my side, placing the blanket around my body, holding me ever so tight. Most of my wounds were almost gone. I don't know if it was because of the cool brook water, or perhaps the way Mayef nursed them. Or is it Mayef all alone? He placed his arm around me to give me support, but I pushed him back.

"Daijoubu." I assured him with a smile, "I can go on from here." Mayef smiled back at me sadly. We walked the rest of the way in silence. The brook wasn't so far from Raizen's domain anyway, ever since he defeated my father, he claimed the land as his own. When we got back, I noticed that his men have returned from their journey. Fear crept in me. I ran upstairs to our room and saw Raizen standing by the door, staring at me angrily.

"R-Raizen..." I stammered.

"Where have you been?" he snarled as he came closer. "Didn't I tell you to stay in this room?!"

"But.. I-I was just..."

"SILENCE!!" he yelled, grabbing my arm, he shoved me to the wall, the wounds on my back started to bleed once more. "You speak when you are told to!"

"Raizen...gomenasai...please..." I begged. He didn't stop there. He grabbed my neck and slapped my face so hard that blood gushed out of my broken nose and swollen lips. I fell on the floor like an old rag doll when he finally let me go.

"Now. Where have you been?" he asked.

"...in the ...brook..." I tried to say, too weak to move.

"And what were you doing there?" he kicked my side. I was too weak to complain.

"He was with me, Raizen!" said an angry voice from behind us. "She was nursing the wounds which you had inflicted on her!"

Raizen was silent. He looked at Mayef then turned to walk away.

"Raizen..." I called after him, "Gomenasai..." He stopped, looked back, then started towards me. I waited for him to hit me again, but he didn't.

He took me in his arms and embraced me the way he used to. The pain in my body seemed to disappear as he did. Tears fell from my eyes as he lifted me in his arms and took me to our room. Mayef was left back in the corridor. I felt his gaze upon me as we left. I felt sorry for him, but for now, I am with Raizen. My Raizen. He may not be the most gentle of all creatures. He can hurt me as long as he wants. I would still love him.

My Raizen.

Eien.

When I woke up, I was in our soft white bed. My body is now free of any wound or scar. I removed the bandages Raizen placed around my body the night before. He was nowhere in sight. Probably gone while I was still asleep. I rose to my feet, feeling a little hungry, and went out of the room. I felt Mayef watching me and turned around. Of course, he wasn't there. He probably thinks I didn't know how he's been watching me ever since Raizen took me here. I went down to the dungeons with a smile on my face.

Raizen keeps our food in here. He have taught me how to live on human flesh and blood, and ever since, I could take nothing else. I opened one of the cubicles and saw a child shivering at the cold. It cried when it saw me, calling for its mother. I ignored the annoying screams and grabbed it by the neck, lifting it up to my level. It fell silent as it saw my eyes. With a twist, I snapped the neck and tore it away from the body. It quivered as life escaped the vessel. Blood trickled own my arm. I licked at it, then suck at the child's arteries, never parting 'till my hunger was satisfied. I then reached into its stomach and diaphram to take my favorite treat. It was still beating as I dipped my teeth into it, the blood oozing out like the filling of a fat éclair. I can still feel the life within it.

When finished, I looked down at the puddle of blood before me. The small body was full of chunky bites, his chest and abdomen, hollowed. Never would I have thought that I would kill these fragile humans. Now, I don't know if I could ever survive without them. I left the dungeons then, my hunger satisfied and met Raizen along the way. Happily, I ran up to him.

"Raizen!" I called to him with a smile. He looked coldly at me and pulled me close in a tight hold.

"Ow..." I tried to complain, "Raizen, you're hurting me..."

He looked down at me and kissed my lips, his hands pulled my garments away as he pushed me against the wall. I gasped as he lifted my legs and placed them around his waist. He pulled his clothes down and started thrusting at me. I winced as the addictive pain burned through my body. I tried not to cry out. He once told me he was annoyed with my cries. Angering him is the least thing I want to do.

When he was through, he suddenly pulled away, dropping me on the floor. I looked up at him. Confused.

"Run." he said with a mad grin in his face. "RUN!"

I rose up, stumbling, regardless of my aching body. I ran. As fast as I could. I could hear Raizen's footsteps behind me. Running after me. Making me panic. I knew well what he would do if he catches up to me. I ran as fast as I could. Blinded by tears of fear, when I suddenly collided with something along the corridor.

"Noo!!" I begged, "Onegai..."

"Fera, It's me, Mayef!" said the person before me. I looked up and was met by two green eyes. He held me tightly, his body enveloping me.

"Raizen..." I gasped, trembling in his arms.

"Outside," he replied, "laughing like a madman."

I finally sobered up. I realized I was naked and pulled away. Mayef took his cloak and placed it around me. He then turned around and walked away. I could never understand this youki.

That night, as Raizen laid me to bed, he took the keys to the treasure chamber and showed a beautiful golden mirror to me.

"You see this, Fera?" he asked, "This is the mirror of souls. It has the power to show you your true self." he continued, reflecting it at me. "I took it from one of the villages today.

I looked at the mirror. It was beautifully crafted with jewels and pearls engraved all around it. I stared at it wide-eyed and looked at my own reflection. It was me alright, but the reflection was much older, and tears of blood where dripping from her eyes. Raizen suddenly pulled it away and placed it in a black cloth bag.

"Raizen, can I see your reflection?" I asked him oh so gently.

"No." he said abruptly.

He rose from the bed and took the mirror back to the treasure chamber. He came back much later and made love to me for the rest of the night.

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END OF CHAP XIII