Rosalina sighed and went to her sister. 'I'll take that." she said grabbing the heaviest baskets. "THis is what I was worried about." She said.

_________________
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)

Sighing softly in frustration at her own weakness, Calista just gave Rosalina, a forced smile. "Thank you," she said softly. Walking a bit unsteadily to the kitchen, Calista carried the bread basket as she moved about slowly, wishing that she could be stronger. She did not know how much longer she could handle her husband's abuse and for the thousandth time since she became trapped in her opulent prison, she wished that she were dead.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina sighed. "Anything sister. You know I would do anything for you." she said, knowing if it meant killing Julius to protect Calista, she would.

_________________
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 know, dearest sister. I know. But I do not want you to put yourself in jeopardy," Calista told her sister gently before giving her a warm smile. Once the sisters had finished preparing the meal, they delivered it to the servants who accepted it with overwhelming gratitude.
Now as night descended upon the company, Calista sat in her chambers clad in an elegant white nightgown and absently brushed out her long blonde hair, dreading the arrival of her liege lord.
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As the darkness covered the land, Darius morphed into a sandy wolf and quickly made his way toward the large castle, intent on meeting his love under the cover of night.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina sighed as she went to the door to the small door that she had discovered when she first came. It lead to an old storage room that she used. So she waited there, for the one person she loved as much as her sister.

_________________
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)

As she sat in a chair nervously awaiting the arrival of her husband, Calista set her brush aside before absentmindedly twirling her blonde hair about her fingers. Suddenly the door to the room burst open and Julius stormed into her chambers, his face flushed with anger.
"My lord..." Calista stammered as she rose unsteadily to her feet.
"You impudent little wench!" Julius thundered as he slapped her roughly across the face, the force of the blow sent her crashing to the ground.
"What have I done to displease you?" Calista whimpered at his feet.
"You dare to feign innocence, you little thief? I saw the storage room unlocked and I know you have the only other key. All those loaves, fish, meat, fruits! What have you done with them!" he thundered.
"I gave them to those that deserve them," Calista told him evenly as she stared up at him, placing a hand over her stinging cheek.
Growling all the more in rage, Julius grabbed her by her blonde hair before slapping the woman across the face again. As she crumpled over at his feet he kicked her hard in the ribs before grabbing his hard wooden pole. "Let's see if they were worth it," Julius hissed at her as he began to strike her back, ribs and legs with mighty blows that would leave dark bruises on her fair skin.
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Silently making his way to the old storage room in his wolf form, Darius arrived within a few moments. "Ro..." he whispered, his voice seeming to echo around the room. Making out her form in the gloom, he made his way over to her before morphing into his true form. "Most beautiful maiden, I am most delighted to bask in your charms again," he remarked as he took her hand and placed a kiss upon her knuckles.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina smiled at him. "Darius. My beloved." she said and took his face before she kissed him tenderly on the lips. "I've missed you." she said as she held him close and kissed him again.

_________________
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)

As the blows fell harder and harder upon her, Calista did her best not to cry out, but her body had already taken so much abuse that day that it made it harder and harder not for her to scream in agony. As more blows rained down upon her body, blood began to stain her white night gown as the hits tore into her skin.
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"I've missed you too, my dearest love," Darius remarked before kissing Rosalina tenderly on the lips. "How are you, my lady?" he whispered before a soft gasp escaped from his lips as he saw a bruise upon her skin. "What happened dearest?" he asked her as he reached out and lightly caressed her bruised cheek. "If you so wish it, I can take you from this place, and away from this madman."

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina shook her head. "I can't leave Cali." she told him and sighed. "I'm afraid for her." she confessed and told darius what happened that day to both she and her sister. "If he finds out what we did . . . She won't leave him, Dary." She told the man she loved sadly. "But if she stays, she will die, I know 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)

Unable to stop the groan, Calista coughed slightly before beginning to wheeze. "Please...stop..." Calista moaned weakly as she crumpled forward. Lifting her up by her blonde hair, Julius knelt down as he stared into his wife's glazed blue eyes before slapping her across the face again and letting her body slump to the ground as if she were a ragged doll. Walking away he started to pace the floor for a few minutes before walking back over to the semi-conscious woman. Jerking her head roughly up by her blonde hair, he just glared at her as he watched her blue eyes start to roll. "Now, my little wench, are you ready to answer my questions..."
"What-what do you want to know..." Calista murmured weakly as a small trickle of blood flowed from her nose.
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"I am worried for you, my dearest Ro. I can't lose you. You are the most beautiful and kindest woman I have ever met. Let me take you away. Take you both away from here. I can protect the two of you," Darius told her gently before kissing her lightly again.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

"I know you would Darius. I know." she said as she hugged him close to her. "But She won't leave. And I can't leave her to deal with him alone. Her spirit and mind are strong, but her body, physicly, is weak. I don't know how to convince her."

_________________
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)

"Who helped you.." Julius hissed. "You could never have done this deed alone."
"No one..." Calista murmured refusing to get her sister in trouble.
"Liar!" Julius shouted as he hit her across the face with his pole.
Groaning as she landed on the ground with a thud, Calista weakly raised her head as she coughed again and the tangy metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.
"Who helped you, little thief?! Answer me!" Julius demanded as he thumped the pole in his open palm.
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Sighing at Rosalina's words, Darius returned her hug and just contented himself with holding her close. "Tell her that this life will kill you. Not to mention her. Tell her there is no dishonor in running from a man who abuses her. Implore her in the name of sisterly love to leave before he kills you both. You cannot stay here, Ro. It is far too dangerous, and I fear that if this man can so abuse his wife, it will not be long until he turns his full wrath upon you." Sighing softly, he could not fully understand why this woman would chose to stay in such a relationship---a relationship in which the only means of escape was death.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina closed her eyes. "I will try Darius. As soon as she is alone I will try." she told him and kissed him on the lips. "Thank you for always being here for me." she told him.

_________________
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)

"No one..." Calista murmured weakly. "I did it all myself..." she mumbled.
"Insolent wretch!" Julius shouted as he raised his pole again and this time hit her several times on her forehead. Groaning, Calista slumped backwards, already out cold before she hit the ground with a thud. Not caring that his wife lay passed out at his feet, Julius kicked the motionless woman in her ribs several more times without getting a response as she stared up at him blankly with fixed glazed eyes. A steady stream of blood now flowed from her forehead where he struck her hard enough to give her a severe concussion.
Suddenly a moan escaped from her lips as her body began to twist and jerk wildly as she lay on the floor. "What the---" Julius muttered as he watched his wife shake violently before him, foam coming on her lips as her lifeless blue eyes rolled back.
A sudden knock on the door drew his attention from this the spectacle and he quickly put the convulsing woman from his mind. "Let the devil take her..." he muttered as he pulled his cloak about him and opened the door and stepped out, being sure to block the sight of the convulsing woman on the ground.
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"What is it?" Julius snapped at the servant.
"My apologies, my lord, but you are needed immediately at court," he remarked. Grumbling to himself, Julius stormed outside, saddled his stallion and mounted the beast before riding off into the night.
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"Yes, do so. Time is of the essence, my love," Darius whispered to Rosalina before tenderly kissing her on her lips. "And how could I not be there for you, Ro? You are the best woman I know. So strong and yet so caring," he murmured before kissing her once more. Hearing Julius storm away, he knew instantly that Calista was alone. "You should talk to your sister now, my love. Julius has left. Convince her to leave before this life kills you both."

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina nodded and kissed darius quickly. "Be safe." she said and hurried to her sisters room. On entering she paled at the site of her sister. "CALISTA!" she went to her sisters side.

_________________
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)

Returning Rosalina's kiss just as quickly, Darius just watched his love leave for her sister's room and decided to wait for her outside.
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Calista continued to convulse wildly on the ground, completely unaware that her sister was at her side. Bubbles of foam started to build up behind her slightly parted lips as she continued to thrash wildly on the floor. After about five minutes, Calista's thrashings slowly began to cease and her body went completely limp on the ground as her lashes fluttered close.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!