-Two Worlds II (14)-

["Cilia" <cilia@xxxxx>]

I'm BACK!
Well here we are the first part of the third arch in the Two Worlds II saga,
now I really need fb on this one cause as you will find out I'm trying
something a little bit different this time around. Now don't start plotting
to kill me at the end of the chapter okay?
Cilia

Title: Two Worlds II
Series: Royalty
Book: 4 ACT III
Chapter 14: Now and Then
Author: Cilia
Author's e-mail: cilia@xxxxx
Pairings: Litni/Poet, B/W and J/X
Distribution and Archiving: List archivers and anybody else who has my stuff
can go ahead. Other's please tell me if you chose to archive this.
Disclairment: Joss owns some and I own some. But hey I think I write better
then he so he can just pucker up and kiss it for all I care.

-Two Worlds II-
Cilia

ACT III

Chapter Fourteen: Litni - Now and Then

NOW
There is darkness. The stone of the wall is dark and so is the wood in the
door of the cell she?s being carried into by two guards and then thrown
against the wall, a third man stands in the doorway draped in a dark cloak.
The captive turns around and sneers at him, with blood trickling from fresh
gashes on her face. Her cloak is torn and her armor has been slashed in
numerous places.
?You fucking bastard!? Litni screams as she lunges for him. But is thrown
back against the wall as she hits a barrier. Getting back to her feet she
charges him again this time letting her fury loose on the barrier. The
guards look doubtful that the barrier will hold under the elf?s fury but
their commander is calm.
?You quite done Miss Speed?? he asks.
?I trusted you,? she screams as the rate of her punches slows. ?I thought
you were my friend,? she whispers.
?I?m truly sorry Litni,? he says in a low voice as he places his hand near
the barrier, before turning and marching away.
?Poet!? Litni screams. ?Poet don?t do this!? she shouts and charges the
barrier one last time and is thrown back against the wall. ?Please don?t??
she looks at the glove she now wears on her right hand and the dark green
stone set in it changes hue as she unfolds and folds her fist. Her mind
going back to the day Tare had given her the talk.

THEN
Tare had just entered the training yard and her face fell and Cordelia didn?
t look too thrilled either when Litni thought about it. After all she was
straddling Poet, Shadow, spy and a man she?d recently been hell bent on
defeating.
?Hey,? Litni said in a small voice.
?Get? off me,? Poet groaned.
?Sorry P,? Litni said as she jumped up and offered him her hand.
?Litni can I talk to you for moment?? Tare asked as she started dragging
her friend away while Cordelia sized the Shadow up for parts.
Once safely away, the Drow started giving the young elf the gospel according
to Tare and Tark.
?What do you think you are doing?? Tare hissed.
?Sparing,? Litni said innocently.
?He?s the enemy!? the Drow exclaimed a little too loudly.
?No, he?s on our side now,? Litni stated firmly.
?How can you be so sure??
?Joyce talked to him and? well you haven?t been here for the last week,?
Litni said with a sigh.
?Litni he?s a spy, trained and hardened,? Tare stated.
?No he?s not? just trust me,? Litni sighed and cast her eyes downward.
Tare looked down at her friend, a girl she?d known for a long time and a
girl whose father she might be falling head over heels for. Sighing and
placing hand on her should, she squeezed it and gave her a smile.
?If he hurts you I?ll throw him to the spiders,? she stated. Litni looked
up and broke into a smile.
?Come on,? she said and took her best friend by the hand. ?I?ll introduce
you,? she said and dragged her to where Poet was engaged in a glaring match
with Cordelia.

NOW
Litni huddles against the wall of her cell and looks up at the single window
high on the wall. The bleeding from her cuts has stopped and the tears on
her cheek have dried into dark streaks.
?Why did I trust him?? she asks herself as she scrambles to her feet.
?Because he was charming and told you all the right things,? a voice she
has come to hate told her.
?Angel go away,? she says through gritted teeth as she makes her way
towards the barrier.
?Can?t. We all have a mission, we all have a?? Angel?s speech is cut off by
a loud crash as Litni punches the wall, sending small pieces of splintered
rock flying.
?I swear to good Angel if you start with the destiny thing? spirit or not I
will beat you senseless,? she shouts as she spins around and stares at the
door and the invisible barrier around it.
?Litni?? Angel asks. ?What are you planning?
?I?m planning to defy destiny,? Litni says as she raises her hand and folds
her gloved hand into a fist and prepares to deliver a punch. As she funnels
her strength her mind wanders back once again, to the time of the General?s
arrival at the Castle of Sun.

THEN
Litni tried to hide her smile as General Elisabeth led her army into the
courtyard, Al?x or Xander as he?d asked she called him was scared, oh he
didn?t show it, but she could sense it and also Joyce?s constant grinning
helped.
?What message did the General send?? she asked Tare.
?Oh she's demanded the feast they?ve been planning and threatened to
disembowel Al?x Sun,? Tare answered with a grin as the General marched up
the steps towards the court of Sun. She bent down and hugged Gymli who tried
to hide his blush, next came Ziel who she also hugged, then came Theris whom
she bowed before and the High Elf just smiled and bowed back before her eyes
shifted to that of Angel and the pair hugged. Then came Joyce, the General?s
mother, they two just stared at each other before giving each other a brief
hug.
?Chilly,? Litni commented.
The General finally stood before Xander, after a menacing stare she broke
into a grin and hugged her friend, even going so far as lifting him off the
ground before presenting her staff.
Joyce?s hug for Willow seemed firmer than the one she?d given the General
and nobody hugged Tark, cause, well you didn?t hug Tark period. After
sharing words with Al?x the General marched over to where Litni and Tare
stood.
?You gave us quiet a scare there Litni,? she said a firm voice.
?Yes ma?am, sorry ma?am,? Litni said.
?I understand that you took a prisoner?? the General asked.
?Well? I wouldn?t?? Litni stared.
?Yes she did ma?am,? Tare said after elbowing her friend to shut up. ?He?s
been confined to his room for the duration of your visit,? she explained.
?Bring him to the feast, I want to meet??
?Poet,? Litni interjected, ?his name is Poet,? she said with a blush as the
General regarded her with a searching look.
?Very well bring Poet to the feast,? she said and turned away.
?Full general mode,? Tare muttered.
?Wha??? Litni asked thoroughly confused.
?Well when the soldiers that drink at the Rose?s Homer talked about the
General they often said she had two personas: one being that of a young
woman, the other of a hardened General. Cordy calls it full general mode?
the Drow explained.
?Oh and when did you become friends with the Ranger Knight?"
?You tend to bond with just about anybody after sharing a breakneck run
down the mountains surrounding this place,? the Drow explained.
?Well regardless of the Generals moods, Poet is not going to like being
paraded as prisoner,? Litni muttered towards the entrance into the castle.
Tare watched her friend go as she heard silent footsteps coming up from
behind her.
?Lady Tare,? a stoic voice said, causing her to grin.
?You are not going to like your ward?s interest,? she said before turning
around.
?The Shadow?? he asked, his red eyes showing slight signs of concern.
?Poet,? Tare corrected. ?And yes it?s the Shadow,? she answered.
?I trust Litni,? he stated after a brief pause where the pair just stared
at each other, blue eyes trying to find a hint of emotion in red ones.
?It would appear that you are without an escort for tonight?s feast,? Tark
said finally and Tare broke into a fresh grin.
?Why General, if I didn?t know better I would think you were courting me,?
she said with grin.
?Was that a yes?? Tark asked in his stoic voice. Tare gave a small musical
laugh, tiptoed and kissed his cheek.
?For a strategic master mind you can be incredibly thick sometimes,? she
whispered.

Litni opened the door leading into Poet?s room after knocking three times
and found the Shadow sitting on his bed staring out the window. She walked
towards the bed and reached out to touch him, but his question stopped her.
?They want to paraded me for the masses?? it was more of a statement than a
question.
?The General wants to see you yes,? Litni said as she traced the edges of
the bed.
?At the feast?? he asked and turned around to face her.
?Yes at the feast,? she answered. ?I?m to make sure you go,? she added.
?I?ve told you that where you go I go,? he said as he took her hand.
?Poet I? why did you decide to help us, I mean the information you?ve given
could lead to our victory why??
?Did I turn against my own people after all those speeches I made about
honor and duty? Simple really I found something worth fighting for,? he
answered as he pulled her in.
?Poet I?? her word where cut off as he kissed her.

NOW
Screaming as she lets her fist fly, she can feel all her hatred, all the
hurt and all the energy she now knows exists funnel into the blow and the
barrier merely slows her for a heartbeat before her blow shatters the heavy
wooden door.
?Poet you are going to pay,? she states as she curls her right hand into a
fist. She turns around to face the two guards that are running towards her.
The first one is struck down before he even gets close by an invisible force
while the second one gets to her, the last thing he sees being a gloved fist
racing towards his face.
Wiping the blood away on his cape, she pulls his swords off him and straps
them to her hips.
?Angel we?re leaving,? she states and she feels a brief chill as the spirit
enters her and a second one as the ethereal wings emerge from her back. She
starts running with one mission in mind. Killing her lover for the pain he
caused her and her friends.

THEN
Litni stood nervously outside Poet?s room, draped in her armor polished to a
high shine, wearing a green cape instead of her cloak and skirt instead of
her tights.
?Poet we are going to be late,? she called out.
?Coming,? the spy answered as he opened the door and Litni?s jaw dropped at
the sight before her. He was dressed all in white, his shirt buttoned up to
his neck, the cape flowing with a life of its own and his bare feet giving
it a distinct look.
?Why no shoes?? she asked finally.
?Consider it my statement,? he answered.
?Oh I get it, you wont run without your boots,? she exclaimed.
?Correct,? he said with a smile and offered her his arm. ?Let's not keep
the guests waiting,? he said and Litni took his arm with a smile

To Be Continued...