Ah! Omygod, I'm posting O.o
Bonus points to those of you (still reading! haha) who can guess the "little girl song" Serenity is singing... Hint: it's NOT some kind of British folk thing Ah, it so ruins the moment if you know... Well, I guess this fic is back for a little bit. I struck with (albeit, shaky...) bouts of inspiration and I had to give it a stab. Let me know what you think. Much love and thanks to those of you still reading :)
He lifted his head at the low, hollow knock on the heavy church doors. Who could it be at this hour and in the rain? Perhaps someone trying to seek refuge from the storm that would not cease. Or perhaps... someone who's mind was so troubled that he must come to the church even in the cold, driving rain...
Seto paused before turning to walk down the aisle, past the holy water (?) and to the doors. When he opened them, he saw what would have made him gasp in alarm and pity. But ever concealing of his thoughts, Seto merely raised a curious eyebrow.
"...Serenity?"
Her hair was matted down to her soft cheeks, which, once rosy and soft with youth, were wan and hollow. She stared at the ground before lifting her eyes reluctantly to meet his. They were angry. And empty.
"Seto..." Suddenly, her angry irises grew dim and she fell forward into his arms.
"Serenity, when is the last time you have eaten?"
She did not answer him, but merely wrapped the blanket tighter around her much-thinner form in front of the fire. Seto walked away from the hearth, exasperated, and went to close the doors. He had brought her to a small, secluded room in the palace where she could warm herself and he could try to understand what she had done. She had chosen not to say anything yet. He was losing his patience.
"Serenity... do your parents know you are here...? Does Mr Taylor know...?"
She whispered something and he hurried toward her, thinking that she had begun to speak, but he turned away again in frustration when he heard that she was just singing a little girl song.
"I'm not a child anymore
I'm tall enough to reach for the stars
I'm old enough to love you from afar
Too trusting, yes, but then women usually are..."
"Serenity!" He suddenly said harshly and the rain outside intensified. "Serenity, why have you come here, to me, half-starved without your parents knowing where you are or what has become of you! When do you plan to return to them! When do you plan to end this!"
"I do not." He was taken aback again by the sound of her voice.
"...What?"
She looked up at him and in the dim fire-light, he saw that her eyes were laced with salt tears. He put his hand over his face to conceal his anger. The burden... the child she was!
"Serenity, if this is about what I said to you those nights ago, I--"
"No." She stood slowly, as her body was malnourished and easy to bruise, and walked to him. "No, it is not that... I am... merely wondering if..." She stared into his eyes mournfully when her journey across the room to him ended. He watched her back skeptically.
"If... you are well."
Seto said nothing for a time and then answered a slightly condescending, "I?" complete with the raise of his eyebrow.
"Yes."
"I am... well."
"Are you..." she hesitated. "...happy?"
Again, he took a moment to answer the question. "Am I... happy?" She nodded and he stared at her quizzidly. What was he to say so that the little waif of a girl did not starve herself more? Of course... he had not worried about this before when he tore her down. That thought stung him with guilt.
"I... I... am."
She let out a tiny breath of air and murmered, "Yes?"
"Yes..." His reply still sounded unsure.
"Thank you, Seto... Father Kaiba..." She then collected herself and prepared to leave. The priest was surprised at this and he followed her through the dim halls of the church, pleading with her to stay until she was well, or at least til morning. She declined, saying that her parents would be worried over her and that she had a carriage waiting outside, which he saw she did. The girl stepped up into the dark, horse-drawn coach and, once inside, she turned to him with a faintly pleased look.
"I will see you again soon, Father." With a worldly smile on an innocent face, she bid him farewell and the coach lurched through the rain and into the cold night.
Serenity sat back against the soft cushions and produced a small piece of paper she had kept hidden from Seto (Father Kaiba... Did it even matter?). The slip of paper was rain-soaked, like her, but she could still make out the message. For the past few days, since she had spent that rainy morning outside the church but refusing to attend, she had kept the note. That was when she began thinking: of Seto, of the woman, and the memory of a party that had been held in the home of the Duke...
Pegasus' revelry had been strange because her brother had returned and he had brought a woman with him... One who had come with her brother as a guest to the party. An actor in his troupe... And that was when Serenity realized what was happening.
Father Kaiba had been dressed in a noble's clothes and this woman he had held was wearing a fine dress when she had seen them in the rain... The woman did not know that Seto was a priest, he had lied to her and concealed his lie by meeting her only in the clothes of a noble. The woman had not been inside the church so was, therefore, not Catholic, so she had never met him as a priest. Seto Kaiba had lied to this woman and Serenity knew... Yet, that was not all, for the woman, who had been dressed as a delicate lady, was actually an actor, a social outcast... Their facade carried to both sides and neither was whom they pretended to be.
When she had asked Seto if he was happy, she had hoped he would say no. The fact that he was happy made this more difficult to do. But Serenity, even at only the age of fourteen, knew that she must do what was necessary to win the man she loved. Even if she had to break his heart in the process... Determined, she clenched in her tiny fist, the note... She would win him even if she had to do this... She would, somehow, win him... and make him love her...
"Isis! You have a note to you, Love!"
The dark-haired woman immediately lost interest in what she was doing inside the pagent wagon and jumped up at Bakura's words. Suppose it was a letter from Seto (for who else could it be?) and Bakura had read it...?
She snatched away the note and looked at the white-haired harlequin. "Did you... read it?"
He laughed. "No, pet, your privacy is actually a thing..." She smiled at him warmly and wished she had not doubted him. But she couldn't take the chance that someone else would find out about the affair... because she feared so much her exposure as a fraud...
The day had not been a complete loss like many of the others. With the rain, it was difficult to put on street performances but the day had given them scatters of sunshine. Now, of course, the storming outside was quite deafening but the day was over and they had made some income. Isis took her note away from Bakura's grin and curious looks and shut herself up in her bedroom. The note was wet and faded but she could make out the fine, pretty hand:
Isis. I know who you truly are and who you claim to be. I know who you have lied to. You must repent, go to confessional at the church on the street of Sycamores, and I will not tell him what you have done.
Her cheek turned pale as she dropped the note to the floor. A moment passed when she thought she might fall to her knees, her head swimming, but instead she pulled herself to the drawer where she kept her few fine clothes and costumes and shakily dressed for confessional...
When Isis entered the dark church, water still clinging to her hair, she looked around for the confessional. She saw it and went to sit inside. Somewhere, Serenity was hoping her timing with the Monsignor's schedule had been right. It was.
Isis slipped into the small booth and through the blurred window beside her, saw the hand waving to her to begin.
"Forgive me, Father... for I have sinned..."
She parted her lips to continue, but a soft breath of air from the priest's surprise haulted her. Then the hollow, disbelieving voice, whispering the one word that broke his calm demeanor.
"...Isis...?"
She knew that voice, the way it said her name. She knew the inflection, the crisp tip he gave the i. That voice... she knew it calling her, whispering to her, gasping out her name in the dark...
"...Seto."
She lept up as if disgusted and burst from the tiny chamber. Seto, again seeming as if he could not stop himself, threw open the door and stepped out, fumbling with his words. She stared at his clothes and his voice faultered as he whispered,
"I wanted to tell you... I wanted to tell you but I... I..."
She reached behind her, hoping to find something, anything to lift her up, make her focus, give her some kind of ground or solace... But she found no solace in the house of the Lord that night. And when he tried to reach toward her, she turned frightened, disappointed, despairing and ran out the doors.
Whoa... I almost don't care anymore do I? I've totally gone Yu Watase on my characters (aka went completely crazy on the story line. if only I could write as well as Ms. Watase...) o.O Sorry guys... :both to readers and characters: Well, let me know what you thought :)