Characters:
And Locke, the theif but there's not a pic I can find... *p*And now for the story...
A LONG time ago, Aconia Zavone was a happy woman... well, okay, that's not correct, since she's happy -now-... but there was a long time where she bitter and cold... and she sometimes would restort to prostituting in her own fashion to get money, but back to the time when she was happy.
She had been seeing a young man named Ezekial, and he was so dashing and romantic, his letters, his voice, how he talked to her and confessed his love... but it only lead to one thing, physical desire... and rape. Ezekial raped her -painfully- many times over... and then laughed in her face. Telling her he only did it as a favor. Because he thinks she's the most sexless and undesirable woman on the planet... he grabbed her only bag of money, and flung the door open, walking into the night.
She began to shake violently and then the tears came. Wild, vicious tears. Pouring out of her heart and soul. She had given both to Ezekial and this is what she gets in return. Rape. Plus such a rupturing comment that would cut her off from anything for a long time. Still shaking and sobbing, she willed herself to get up and shower. Her body sore and bruised, stiff and achy. The shower was relaxing a bit. But that's how she changed.
A year later, she gave birth to Mania Zavone. She cried then too. Not for joy, however. However, she couldn't keep the truth from her daughter. When Mania finally asked her, she told Mania the truth. That she was the aftermath of a rape. That Aconia loved her no matter what. Aconia's only ray of light was her daughter for the longest time. By this time, she had found out that Ezekial had married and he was expecting a son. Aconia only hoped that his wife knew what a vindictive man he was.
One day, she brought her "business" into Nia's Tavern. That day, a Prince sat amoung the crowd as she offered it up. The gentle and kind Prince approached her. Aconia felt her blood run cold and barriers that were created by bitterness and hate shot up. She dodged some questions, and finally she broke down. She went from treating him like a customer, to treating him like a friend. By now, Mania was off at school. Ertai was his name, the Prince of Keldrin. He invited her back to Keldrin to stay. She didn't agree, but then she went later on her own.
The first few months were hellish. They constantly fought and Aconia kept on trying to leave. Somehow, she found a skinny and ragged little boy, named Locke. Aconia wanted to adopt Locke and asked him. Locked asked if they'd be his mother and father. Aconia's answer to that was that they would, but they weren't really. Normally mothers and fathers love one another and Aconia clearly didn't love Ertai at all. This hurt Ertai and Locke, who tried to run away again. Aconia caught him and said she'd try to get along with Ertai. That satified Locke, and now they were a little family.
The fights however, only got worse. To one point, Aconia pushed Ertai away so much it seemed like habit. They were constantly at each other's throats and there wasn't much light on this situation. Aconia was in denial, tiny little feelings. The ones she had shared with Ezekial, were beginning to come forth. Ertai didn't hde it, he knew he loved her. He knew he wanted her by his side. He wanted to marry her. Again, a fight of drastic proportions punctured that. Ertai left, not planning to return. However, he couldn't keep himself away. He found a dillusional Aconia on his bed. She whispered his name, acting like he was there. He embraced her and finally confessed his love, the fight forgotten. It brought Aconia out of her state, and back to reality. No, it was happening again. Aconia didn't say it back, it was too hard right now.
Mania then one day showed up at the doorstep. It had been a good couple of months since Ertai told her he loved her. Aconia still hadn't said anything in return. However, thanks to Mania's encouragement, she did. She confessed -everything-. Later that night, Ertai slipped into her room and proposed. He proposed as soon as he was sure she loved him back. She had to say no, she couldn't move this fast. She said she was sorry. It was too soon.
When it was Mania's seventeenth birthday, Ertai introduced her to Akue Darkland and the connection was almost instant. Mania had found her future husband. On that same night, Aconia gave Ertai the answer he had been looking for. Yes, she'd marry him. The celebration only roared higher. As Mania and Akue began to date, Aconia and Ertai began to plan the wedding.
Then the blessed day came, just about six months or so later. It was lovely. Ertai looked stunning in his cermeonial garb. Aconia looked breathtaking in her gown. She and he were crowed King and Queen of Keldrin. Making Mania and Locke a Princess and Prince. While Mania danced with her new father, she was told that at eighteen she was ordained Princess and she would select her future husband then. Akue had been Ertai's best man and Mania has been the Maid of Honor, Locke had been the ring bearer.
That day had come. The day of coming of age, or being ordained Princess for Mania. Dressed in a silver-blue gown, she entered the almost crowded hall of people. She was asked a series of questions and answered them as she was asked the hitter, "Who do you select as your Prince?". Her answer was that her Prince was not one of royalty, but one of heart. By now, her relationship with Akue was deep and romantic, loving and warm. Yes, she wanted to marry him. "Akue Darkland.", was her answer. The court said that he was not royalty. Mania noted that she said he wasn't. The court shrugged, as if to say, your choice, not ours.
She didn't tell Akue. She never did. She'll wait until he proposed. If he ever did. Yet, her mother was never royalty and she married Ertai. So why couldn't she marry Akue? Fair is fair, right? Akue was now the sensei of his very own Dojo and Mania often came by to either play tricks or visit. He hasn't proposed yet. He still hasn't. Also, her mother got badly injured in the arm and was submerged in the nanomachine for about a week. Aconia was still furious with Citan, because he wanted her to take off her clothes and get in. Mania however grabbed her in her sleep and they stuck her in there. Aconia was even more enraged at them all. She told Ertai she couldn't tell anymore that she loved him. BOOM! Someone dropped the bomb. Ertai cried. Again, she came back and they made up.
Now Mania has tried to hint around that she wants Akue to bed her. Kind of like when her mother approached Ertai and told him the same thing. Right out. Sometimes, that's not the best way to do things. However, Akue was ignorant to such and when she finally made it so blatantly clear, by refusing to dress after she got out of his jacuzzi, eventhough he wanted to. He couldn't. She ran home crying. He tried to calm her and talk to her, but she only ran away again. Only to be caught by a slimeball and almost raped. Akue saved her and she ran into the Castle, slaming the door and collapsing on the bed, sobbing. Akue tried to comfort her again, after talking to Aconia, but it was no use and he went home. They both cried themselves to sleep.
Mania just couldn't stand it anymore. She nearly sleep-walked to Akue's Dojo with practically nothing on. She fell on the bed and they both apologized. Well, despite the fact that Akue didn't want to, they did it. She spent the entire night with him and when Ertai came knocking the next morning Akue told him what had happened. He was angry. He stormed home as Mania stepped into the room. She said he'd probably throw her out now and she went home to face him. Akue followed, and ultimately they faced Ertai together. He was forgiving and apologetic; and Mania just wasn't having it. She ran into her room, crying. She told both Ertai and Akue to go away and then she jumped out the window, Akue still followed. Then she told him to go away, and finally he did.
Yet... that's not how she wanted it to be. She landed in the snow, collapsing in a heap and sobbing until Hyuga found her. He tried to get it out of her but as soon as she told him that he's her doctor, not her friend, that was the end of that. Finally, hindered with the cold, she snuck back inside the Palace and slipped into the basement library, grabbing some rags and curling up on a worn couch in the very back. She was there for days, she snuck food out of the kitchen and snuck her clothes and some blankets of sorts down there too. Her nights were far too long, filled with nightmares of anything she could possibly think of. When Akue finally found her, she was asleep. He tried to wake her, but it wasn't working. He brought her up to her room and tried to warm her up, nightmares still came to her as she lay on her bed.