Fantasy Descendants of the Curse

[EvelienLocalArtist]

Donahue shook his head, “No not the ocean, not technically. The English Channel? Yes. The Balearic Sea? Yes, but not the ocean.” He ended up yawning too. “But perhaps someone did and I was just too young to remember, who knows.”

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

“No...” She sighed wanting to spend as much time here with him as possible but it didn’t really look like that was possible anymore. Looking down at them she suddenly giggled having to purse her lips to mute herself. It could just be the fact that she was still a bit tipsy, but she found the way they were standing adorable. His hand on her waist, her’s still on his shoulder and the other hands clasped together it almost looked like they were about to start waltzing around the room. “May I have this dance?” She asked playfully as she smiled up at him. In the moment no longer caring if she got in trouble, just wanting to enjoy this time with Gaston.

 

[Valjean24601]

Gaston sighed deeply when she said no. He just knew the longer they stayed the worse things would get.
“Phiona, little blossom...” he shook his head gently,”we really should go.”

 

[Valjean24601]

((Time skip for Don and Sabella?))

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

(Sure do you have an idea of where to skip to?)

Phiona frowned at Gaston disappointed in him and embarrassed by herself. She didn’t know why but she was hurt by the fact that he did not go along with it. Did not give her a few more moments of bliss before having to face the possessive wreck that was her family. No, instead he sighed and shook his head like he was telling off a small child for accidentally breaking something.

Gaston had a horrible way of doing things to her, he could make her feel like a wanted woman in one moment and a silly child in the next. Ashamed she pulled herself out of his grasp and away.

“Right of course,” her voice now hoarse as she avoided eye contact turning stiffly away from him, “After all I shouldn’t keep my future husband waiting.” Her voice prickly as she made her way to the door.

 

[Valjean24601]

((Hmmmmn not sure yet—))

“Phiona, Phiona stop—“
Gaston reaches for her, careful not to touch her burnt wrist.
“I know this is stressful and frightening for you and it is for me as well especially when you’re being treated the way you are. Please just— let’s get out of here and go home and it’ll be better.”

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

Phiona wished she could believe him, but it was clear when her pain filled eyes met his that she didn’t.

“Will it be? You can give up your position at the school so we can be together, but that will not stop those vile students who feed off my torment nor the malevolent teachers who take pleasure in other’s anguish.” Her voice was shaking as she spoke, “If we leave we are merely leaving one bad situation for another, and Xander is sure to follow.” There were tears welling up in her eyes as she thought of how hopeless this all was no longer caring about the volume of her voice.

 

[Valjean24601]

“I can’t control what happens here, Phiona, I can protect as back at Forticoven House.”
He stared at her, pained now that being with him had burdened her so horribly.
“Phiona if you don’t want this then I can go. If it’s too hard and I know it is and it will be but I can leave.”

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

((I have decided to postpone Xander’s love potion use until they get back to the school.))

“Gaston...” Her voice was pained as she looked up at him stunned that he suggested leaving her. “Don’t leave me...” Was all that she had the strength to say as her small shoulders shook. Tears slowly streaming down her face, other than the trembling of her shoulders she was completely still. Standing there pathetically weak and vulnerable. The pressure around causing her crumble under the weight.

She was just a frail little creature that could be easily crushed with one blow.Yet there before her stood the sturdy figure of Gaston, strong, stable, and a force to be reckoned with. He wouldn’t even need to strike the young woman to knock her down all he would need to do is walk out right now and she would be ruined.

 

[Valjean24601]

“Phiona, i won’t-“
He sighed softly. All he wanted was to go to her but he couldn’t help but think of how tortured she’d become since their romantic relationship had begun.
“Have you ever thought you’d perhaps be happier? Without me?”

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

Phiona’s lips trembled wanting immediately to cry out. No! Of course not! But she didn’t, instead she hesitated. She had once thought she would be happy on her own, or living with her family, for a time she even thought she could be happy with Jacques. Though once she became involved with Gaston she had stopped thinking about all that. She only thought of how happy they could be together, until the world around her intervened slowly chipping away at her dreams of happiness as well as her sanity.

Unconsciously touching her burnt wrist as she thought of what her life would end up like without Gaston she finally spoke. “No... I have imagined countless possibilities of what things would be like for me if we weren’t together, but not a single one of them is happy.” Her voice was hoarse a severe contrast to her usually delicate and sweet voice.

“Do you believe things would be happier if we were separate?” She asked sucking in a deep breath and holding it. Her eyes lowering as she couldn’t stand to look into Gaston’s eyes at this moment.

 

[Valjean24601]

“i know that i won’t be, Phiona- i just want you to be. More than anything.”
Gaston replied quietly, holding in a breath as she trembled in front of him.

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

Phiona nodded slowly as she looked up at him her lashes wet from the tears she had blinked away.

“I want the same for you,” She wrung her hands as she spoke trying to gather herself.

“I cant seem to find any joy in life when I know you are so displeased with me...and my family,” She glanced back at the door before looking to her fiancé.

“Today has been a complete disaster and it is all my fault. I should have never suggested we come here, but I wanted to make you happy so badly, yet I couldn’t even do that.” Her voice was full of heart break as she stood there wanting so badly for him to embrace her, to comfort her and tell her it was going to be alright. But he remained unmoving, as he stood across from her he seemed so distant, it hurt. All she wanted was to please everyone, make it so everyone was happy but now that wasn’t possible. Now she had to make a choice.

“I want you to be happy, but you don’t want to be here anymore...” she swallowed hard trying not to bite her lip as she spoke.

“So we will leave tomorrow morning.” She said softly as if speaking it too loudly would jinx it.

 

[Valjean24601]

It pained him deeply to see her like this even if it wasn’t his own doing, not completely. Her family, paired with Xander of course, was a throng of tyrants and they had terrorized her long enough. Once they returned to the coven house all would be well, or it would begin to be.
“I’m glad you’re agreeing to go,” he replied gently, “things will be different once we return home. No more of this nonsense.”

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

“Yes...” Phiona sighed clearly still worried, but she tried not to show it. There was a moment’s pause when she looked up at him not saying anything just thinking of all that has happened, and the way everyone behaved. A feeling of regret and embarrassment pressed on her but ignored it. Biting her lip to distract herself she tore her eyes away from the unfortunately handsome man before her.

“I’m sorry...” she said softly, clasping her hands together a sense of cold formality coming over her to mask the feelings she had inside. “Things did not go the way I planned, and instead of handling them with maturity I let my emotions get the best of me....” she turned away from Gaston heading for the door.

“I acted like a child, and asked too much of you,” she sighed, “you are not my protector, I shouldn’t expect you to save me all the time,” Her voice wobbled slightly as she looked down at her burnt wrist and the dirt that clung to her previously clean dress. “Goodnight Gaston.” She added and with that she walked out of his room. You could tell she was still had the wine in her system by the slightly unbalanced way she walked but that didn’t stop her from leaving. The door closing with a finishing echo.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Outside his room was a different story. There stood half of her brothers silently staring at her, but instead of berating her on how her parents need her, or how she shouldn’t leave yet they simply stood there. Each one with a somber frown on their faces. It was easy to see that they all wanted to say something but in the end it was only Edmond who spoke up.

“Are you alright?” He asked quietly, looking down at his little sister a feeling of regret paining his heart which was only made worse when she refused to look at him as she made her way past. You could tell she had been crying and it made him feel terrible. “Phiona I’m sorry-“ He said but was promptly interrupted by the sounds of her door slamming.

After a moment of silence the brothers scattered leaving Edmond by himself in the hallway. Sighing heavily he stepped forward and knocked on Gaston’s door. He had a few things he wanted to say before this man and his sister left in the morning.

~~~~~~

Meanwhile through the vents you could hear Phiona’s parents and Xander yelling at each other. With few words actually being able to be understood. “Why not?!”, “-taking a risk with you-“, “Bastard!“, “-I could have you killed-“, “Phiona is a-”, “-the ritual-”, “Ryhnaen won’t like this!”, “-blood-“, “-are you sure he hasn’t tainted her?”

Their quarreling continued on but Phiona ignored it silently crying herself to sleep.

 

[Valjean24601]

Gaston sat dejectedly at the end of his bed, head in hands and elbows on his knees when he heard the knock at the door.
Hoping it was Phiona returning he stood quickly and dashed for it, opening to find only Edmond.
“She isn’t here, she went back to her room.”
He frowned as he looked at the young man.

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

Edmond frowned “I know, I saw her. It pains me to see her so distraught. It was never like this when we were children. Can you believe things once used to be quite different? It was-” He stopped himself knowing he shouldn’t say anything more. “Ah well, things change, for better or for worse...” he sighed realizing he was getting off track. Looking around he made sure no on was in the hall he drew a glowing yellow sigil on the palm of his hand and placed his hand on Gaston’s shoulder. Within seconds they were cloaked in a blanket of darkness. He had encased them in a veil of privacy, much like Phiona’s sigil only it was like they weren’t there at all you could not be seen nor heard, and so Edmond used this to speak privately with Gaston.

“You seem like a good man Mr. Forticoven, certainly better than Xander at least. You also seem to truly care for my sister, I respect that. Even if it seems like my brothers and I don’t, we do. It’s only . . . we fear our coven more.” He spoke in a rushed but whispered voice clearly still nervous about speaking to Gaston about such things.
“However you. . . you aren’t part of our coven, they have no control over you. You can still leave, but Phiona,” Edmond bit his lower lip a habit most of the family shared. “I fear for her. That surprise my family had planned for her was not Sebastian’s wedding celebration. I can’t tell you what it was, but I can tell you you need to get her out of here before they decide to go forth with their plan.” Though Edmond worked with his family and their dark dealings he knew what they had in store for the youngest Grewillow child, and it was a fate Edmond couldn’t bare his sister enduring.

“I hope I won’t end up regretting trusting you. So take care of her, and don’t let Xander or the Ryhnaen get their hands on her.” He said the urgency in his eyes was clearer than glass. About to take his hand off Gaston’s shoulder he paused “And Gaston, don’t tell anyone I told you this, alright?”

 

[Valjean24601]

((Alright let’s see if i can maybe get the hang of this again))

Gaston listened intently to Phiona’s brother, quite reluctantly at first, and then more eagerly as he revealed a few answers to the many questions that had plagued him over the course of the last few days.
Yet still he picked and chose what he omitted and worded carefully what he didn’t, at some points frustrating Gaston even more.
“I haven’t a soul to tell regardless. Thank you— for this,” he replied quietly, “I appreciate it but I do wish you’d tell me more. Perhaps my coven could help you.”

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

(I missed this story, totally forgot about it for a few years. Sorry for not replying back in like half a decade at this point, my bad lol. I'm sure you've long forgotten about this, but I don't want it getting deleted for inactivity and I'd be willing to keep this adventure going if you are.)

((I vaguely remember what my plan was so we'll go with this.))

"You can help by getting her out of here and as far away from this coven... our parents, as possible." Edmond whispered panic creeping into his voice as the knowledge of what his coven had in store for his sister haunted his thoughts. She is to be a sacrifice. Innocent as a lamb, delicate as a flower. He knew she didn't stand a chance on her own, but he also knew just telling Gaston what little he has put himself and his siblings in danger. This small act of defiance could lead to a punishment worse than death if his parents found out. Knowing that Edmond was still willing to take that risk to protect his baby sister from her fate.

"Wake her and get out of here. I'm sure she's drained from all that happened but I'd rather her be exhausted and alive than..." He stopped himself realizing he's said too much. Sighing he pulled out a slip of paper with the same sigil of invisibility Phiona had used earlier on it, and handed it to Gaston. Staring at the tired but muscular man before him Edmond felt petite by comparison. Imagining for a moment how his sister must feel around Gaston... A half smile crossed his face, sure that if anyone tried to stop them physically at least this brute of a professor could beat them back with ease.

"Once you have my sister use the sigil to get out of this house..." He paused giving Gaston's shoulder a grateful squeeze.

"I want to thank you, you have my deepest gratitude and... for what it's worth..." His gaze relaxed and he let a warm smile cross his lips.

"My blessing." And with that he lifted his hand the cloak of darkness surrounding them lifted and once more the two men stood alone in the moonlit hallway.

"Have a goodnight Mr. Forticoven..." His calm demeanor returning as he stepped away from Gaston and walked casually back to his own room.