"Rosalina..." Calista whispered as the woman fled from the room and rushed outside. Lowering her head, she felt tears sting her eyes, suddenly wishing that she had never drawn attention to the matter. If she had just remained silent then perhaps the poor woman would have been spared the additional pain of finding out that she now carried the seed of a man that ravished her after being ravished by another. Rosalina had to be an emotional mess right now and it was all her fault. Glancing over at Calista, Gareth could only sigh to himself as he saw her reaction. Wrapping an arm around her, he felt her slightly stiffen at his touch as if he startled her from her thoughts before she rested against him. "Relax, dearest," Gareth whispered in her ear as he noted her wan face. He knew Calista would react this way so he had wanted to hide the news from her as well. Even though she was not directly involved with the situation, she had such a caring heart that at times it felt as if she could almost feel the pain of others, and he knew that this hurt would only be worse since Calista felt herself indebted to the woman. "I'm sorry," Calista murmured. "I shouldn't have pried."
"You're right," Darius remarked rather coldly to her. "If you had just been silent, perhaps my lady would not be in such distress as she is in now," he added before storming out of the room to check on Rosalina.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina, after empting her stomach, huddled herself againest a wall. Her face was buried into her knees as she cried. She was doomed.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

Growling as he heard Darius' comments to Calista, a fireball started to form in his hand and he nearly hurled it at the mythical creature but Calista placed a hand on his arm to stop him in time. "Please, don't," she whispered weakly, tears streaking down her pale cheeks. "He's right. It's my fault that her peace was destroyed. If I had not questioned you, then Rosalina would not have noticed the change between us. And now she is miserable...." she whimpered her voice trailing off.
Allowing the fireball to dissipate, Gareth made a silent vow to deal with Darius later for his cold treatment to his woman. Pulling Calista into his arms, he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead as he gently rocked her back and forth. "Shh, my love," Gareth whispered as he tenderly rubbed her back. "This wasn't your fault. I should have thought of a better explanation to avoid suspicion. If I had done so, then perhaps she could have been spared such knowledge for a little longer."
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Racing outside, Darius found Rosalina huddled against the wall with her face buried in her knees. Walking quietly up to her, Darius sat beside her and gently pulled the sobbing woman into his arms. "Shhh. It will be all right, Ro," he whispered as he held her close and planted a gentle kiss on the top of her head. "Everything will be all right. It may be hard, but we will get through this together. That I promise you."

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina shook her head. "Darius, you know what this means? I have to return to marry him. It is whats expected." she spoke. "I'll never be free."

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

"You don't need to return to him, Ro," Darius said softly. "Not if I claim the child as my own," he whispered. He was not sure if he could ever love the baby, but if it was the only way to keep Rosalina in his life than he would attempt to do so. "Or I could just kill your fiancé and be done with it," Darius added, liking the second option more and more as the moments ticked by.
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"No, it is not your fault," Calista whimpered as she buried her face against Gareth's chest as tears of remorse fell from her eyes. "I should never have put you in such a position. I should have waited to ask you when we were alone," she added as a hiccup escaped from her lips.
"Shhh," Gareth soothed as he continued to rub her back gently as he rocked her in his arms. "Rose," he whispered after a moment. "Look at me," he said gently. "Look at me, love," he coaxed her gently when she did not raise her head. Slowly raising her head from his chest, Calista gazed up with at Gareth with tear-filled blue eyes. "You couldn't have changed anything. Rosalina would have discovered she was pregnant---no matter how much you wish it wasn't so. And sadly, she would still have the same pain as she is wrestling with now. So do not blame yourself for things beyond your control. This pain was coming---no matter how much we may wish that it never happened."
"But-"
"Rose, this storm could only be delayed not prevented. Do you understand me?" he asked as she lowered her head.
"Do you understand me?" he asked her again when she did not respond.
Not trusting herself to speak, Calista slowly nodded her response. Placing his fingers beneath her chin, Gareth slowly tilted her face up to his. "Good," he said softly. "Now, no more tears," he added as he gave her a disarming smile and gently brushed away the last of her tears with his fingers. Chuckling softly, Calista gave him a small smile in spite of her sadness. "Thank you, Gareth," she whispered. "You truly are my strength in my moments of weakness and my anchor in my storms," she added softly before standing on tip-toe to kiss him lovingly on the lips.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina shivered. "What if the child looks like him." she asked.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

"We will deal with it if that happens," Darius replied softly before kissing Ro lightly on her lips. "I am sure we can always blame that on misfortune or black magic. If not, perhaps we could say that the child has the appearance of one of a relative from a distance past," he added quietly.
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Returning Calista's kiss with a loving one of his own, Gareth pulled her closer to him and slowly deepened it. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Calista moaned softly in pleasure, enjoying the feeling of his lips against hers. Pleased with her reaction, Gareth smirked slightly as he continued to kiss her passionately, enjoying the sweetness of her lips. When the two finally parted, Calista just smiled up at Gareth, a bit relieved that her father did not catch their intense kissing. "I-I guess I should go and clean the dishes," Calista remarked a bit flustered although by the glow in her eyes, Gareth knew that she enjoyed their kissing session.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

"Are you sure we can do this?" Rosalina asked. She didn't want the child, she wanted to be rid of it.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

"We can do this, Ro," Darius whispered, trying to keep all hesitation from his voice. He wasn't sure if he could be a father to another man's child but he didn't want to make Rosalina feel any more burdened or troubled than she already was. Nor did he want her to do something risky in an attempt to get rid of the child. He didn't want to lose her. He just couldn't lose her.
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Smirking slightly at how flustered she seemed to be, Gareth leaned down and lightly kissed her cheek. "I guess you should before your father catches us in one of sessions," he teased her lightly and Calista felt her face flush crimson at the thought. Laughing at her reaction, Gareth shook his head in amusement and gave her another charming smile. "Relax, love, I'll cast a spell and lock the room tight before he walks in on such a sight," he added as they headed to the cooking area to gather the dishes. As she started to bend to pick up the load, Gareth stopped her and picked up the dishes and carried them for her as the couple walked outside and to the well.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina nodded. "I need to be alone right now." she said, her voice sounding a little dead. When she had the chance, she would go to Gareth and ask about herbs. She wanted to get rid of the child.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

Darius studied Rosalina wordlessly for a bit, but slowly nodded his assent as he got to his feet and obeyed her wishes. "I'll always be here for you, Ro. Never forget that," he whispered softly before leaving her alone.
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After Gareth drew water for her, Calista immediately set to the task of washing the dishes, her scrubbing much more intense than usual as she released pent up anger at herself for forcing Gareth to reveal what was on his mind. Sensing her mood, Gareth wrapped his arms around her waist and just held her gently, wishing she would calm down. "My love, do not exert yourself so. Your body is still weak from the wounds you have been dealt. Yes, you can heal faster than most, but your body still needs time to heal. Please, calm down before you overtax your strength," he whispered to her before kissing her lightly on her neck.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina watched him leave before getting up herself. She didn't know where to go, but soon she could hear Gareth and Calista. She looked at the building and noted she was buy the kitchen now.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

"I'll be fine, Gareth" Calista remarked quietly, a soft smile spreading across her face as she felt Gareth's lips upon her neck, sending a warm tingling sensation spreading throughout her body. Yet, she did not stop the intensity in her scrubbing, wanting to wear herself out as punishment for behaving in a rash manner. Sensing that she was punishing herself, Gareth sighed in frustration as he gave her waist a gentle squeeze. "All right my sweet," Gareth remarked, knowing that he needed to distract her from her misery. "Rumor has it that you are among the most knowledgeable in herbal lore."
"Rumors are rumors, my dear mage. There is no truth to them."
"Well, let's see if this rumor is fact or fiction then, shall we, love?"
"If you wish to test me, my dear, I shall not refuse you," Calista remarked.
"All right, what is the best herb for healing burns?"
"The salve of the bulbous bruteroot. Once placed on the wound, it will show signs of healing in a few hours,"
"Well done. For herbal tea to heal internal injuries?"
"Leaves of the calcitron plant."
"Nicely said."
"For poisoning your enemy quickly?"
"Sap of the bleedingheart flower, known for the single drop of red among petals of white."
"For poisoning your enemies slowly?"
"To poison one slowly, place a drop of nectar from the trépas flower in one's drink."
"Very good. What else is this plant known for?" he asked her.
"Causing miscarriages. Stories say that it has been given to many a noblewoman by a rival to remove her of an heir by causing her to bleed," Calista remarked, remembering the lessons Gareth taught her.
"Nicely done. And lastly for curing poisons?"
"There are several but the most effective are crushed petals from an Athia rose placed in boiling water as a sort of herbal drink."
"My dear woman. I find you among the most apt in herbal lore. If not the most," Gareth remarked with a playful smile.
"Well, I have a good teacher," Calista remarked with a gentle smile.
"Not in the slightest, dear heart. You always had a talent for both the fatal and benign herbs," Gareth added as he placed another kiss to her neck.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina felt a small smile as she heard the bit about miscarriages. She had heard of the flower, and had seen its image before. Leaving her spot she sought the flowers out. The fact she would soon be rid of the child made her smile.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

Once she was finished with the dishes, Calista let out a soft sigh. The muscles in her arms were sore but she hardly cared. In her eyes, it was merely a small punishment for the misery that she put her benefactor through. Picking up the stacks of dishes before Calista could protest, Gareth walked with her back to the kitchen and put the dishes in the drawer. Afterwards, Gareth led Calista to a chair and had her sit before he stood behind her and started to massage her shoulders before the woman quickly stood, stopping him. "Gareth. I'm fine," she remarked, not feeling she deserved any special treatment at the moment.
"Calista---" Gareth started to tell her when he caught sight of Darius and his eyes narrowed. "You!" he shouted. "I should burn you alive for your venomous tongue! This maiden has done nothing but blame and inflict misery on herself because of your callous speech!" Gareth snarled.
"And I should tear you to shreds for the news you gave my lady after all she did for your woman!" Darius growled back.
"The news I gave would not have been a secret for long," Gareth hissed. "Yet you inflicted needless pain upon a woman that wished you no ill-will."
"Gentlemen, stop! I beg of you. Stop this senseless bickering," Calista just about screeched as she stepped between the mage and mythical creature, afraid that the two would attack each other. "The person who needs are care and support now is Rosalina," Calista remarked softly as turned her full attention to Gareth. "Please, don't fight," she begged, staring up at him with her pleading blue eyes.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina smiled as she found the flowers someways away from the buildings. She went back to the building, and to her temperary room with her bags, grateful she had brought an empty bottle incase it was needed. Once she had the bottle she went out again, hardly going pass the kitchen so she wasn't noticed. then she prepared the flowers, collecting all the necture into the bottle. then once it had more then half, she drank it.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)