Elements Book Two

7/31/2019 Elements Book Two

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ELEMENTS

Book Two: The Boys

The Aftermath

Prologue: You, the readers of this literary work, are probably wondering: Why did the author putEgan and Amethyst and Brook and Ilmatar together? The answer is quite simple, actually; Egan

and Brook are from different and conflicting Realms, so it would be better to pair Brook withIlmatar and Egan with Amethyst.


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Part One: Aidens Story

Some say the world will end in fire,

some say in ice.

From what I've tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it had to perish twice,I think I know enough of hate

to say that for destruction ice

is also great

and would suffice.

-Robert Frost, Fire and Ice


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Chapter One: What Now?

Now that the journey is over, I can finally settle down with my belovedKatie. But I must also brave asking her the most important question there is: I must ask her if she will marry me.Before you freak out, know that it is perfectly normal for an eleven-and-six-year-old boy to want to marry this girlfriendat this age. Besides, even if she does say yes right away, we would still have to make save-the-date cards. Theformat is something like this:

[Name of groom] & [name of bride]Are getting married on[Date of wedding] at [location]

Formal invitation to followIt goes something like this, anyway. I have already given her my heart, so I may as well give her everything

else I have. When you find the one you love, the one you truly love, they become the center of your world; nothingelse means anything to you anymore, nothing else matters, except for the sole happiness of that one person. That, ina few short sentences, is how I feel about my Katie, how she feels about me. As I enter the house I share with her(we moved away and nearly dragged Melissa with us) I know what is going to happen. Just as I suspected, themoment I enter our small cottage Katie wraps me up in her arms and kisses me, her plump, ruby-red pout caressingmy own lips in a sort of rhythm. I run my fingers through her cocoa hair, and she leans forward into the kiss,deepening it. This catches me off guard, but I do not back away. When she finally pulls away, I hold her to my chestand murmur in her perfect ear Miss me much, sweetheart?

She looks up at me again, and says, her eyes shining like luminescent liquid topaz, Yes; I missed you morethan you will ever know, Aiden... It isnt until I embrace her again that I notice a sheet of parchment paper on the

table. Upon closer inspection, I also notice the seal of King Egan, our Royal and Katies father, at the bottom of theletter, directly under his scratchy writing. Curiosity takes hold, and I read the letter, highlighting key ideas as I go.What I read was this:

Dearest Katie,

I write this letter with sadness in my heart

and my crown at my feet. I hate to inform you


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that your mother is not faring well. I fear she

is on her last legs. She has been retching more

often than when you had visited last, and her

complexion has whitened considerably. As is

customary, I must get another Queen before theimminent death of the current one, but I

honestly couldnt bear to see another womansitting in the throne your mother used to enjoy

lounging in, her dress outspread on the floor,

her beautiful pink lips always smiling, never

downturned. Dont hate me if I choose to do so.On to lighter things: Ilmatar and Brook have

decided that they need another baby. I can seewhy; without River here, it gets lonely,

especially for Brook. As of today, Brook is

three months pregnant with a daughter, Jubilee

Rose. Please come to see me; I long to see the

face of my little girl, if it shall indeed bring

comfort.

Signing this letter with a depressed hand,

King Egan

Here are some reasons why I highlighted certain things: for one, if a Royals husband orwife, therefore theirKing or Queen, is dead or dying, the healthy Royal will place their crown at their feet as a sign of grievance; anotherreason is that Egan is normally not this depressed. We all knew this day would come; we just hoped it would notcome so soon. Katie looks at me again and asks Can we visit him, Aiden; and Mother, too? They need us, honey;especially Father.I look up from the letter and say Yes, my love; we can visit them, if you are happy with doing so.She nods, then stands on tip-toes and kisses my cheek as lightly as a feather. I copy the gesture, but kiss herforehead instead. As always, she smells of sunlight and cinnamon. She always knows just what to do to please mysenses. I smile as I pull away and head for the telephone.

I am going to call the other boys; see if theyll come with us. His Majesty will need all the comforting he canget, by the sounds of that letter. She nods and smiles, and then she heads for the kitchen; this leaves me wonderingwhat dinner will be tonight, but also felling compelled to help her. I am not the kind of person who expects women todo everything on their own. That description better fits Adam. I once set aside a whole day for helping Melissa withher gardening, when I could have gone out with Katie. The first one I call is Adam; someone picks up on the first ring.

I dont realize it immediately, but after a little while I know who it is. Hello?Um... Adam?Yeah; what do you want, Aiden? Im not feeling well.Ah, nothing; I just wanted to know if you wanted to go to the palace because King Egan seemed depressed

in his letter to Katie and needs comforting.Ask the other guys,Aiden; I cant go out. My girlfriend forbids me. Shes too busy stuffing me with healing

herbs and other preposterous stuff.Wow...I know, right? Its stupid.


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I was wowing the fact that you actually used a smart word this time. Dare I say it, I am proud, Adam. Click.Phone still against my ear, I distort my face so it is more of a smirk, to which Katie responds Did he say somethingwrong, honey?

No, but I think I just did.Lets go anyway. I want to find out if Father is going to survive the night.Alright, sweetheart; we shall go, then.The drive to the palace is quiet, for the most part, until Katie says something that reminds me of what I had

previously, if not recently, aimed at doing.Aiden?Yeah?When will you propose to me?Damn it! Im sorry, sweetheart; I was going to as soon as I walked into the house, but other stuff happened,

and-You forgot...I put the car in neutral and tell her You distracted me, sweetheart. I was so utterly captivated by your

breathtaking beauty that it had slipped my mind. In that case... will you marry me, Katie Carlinson? I need you likeyour father needs your mother, like we need Inferno to live, like the Water Realm needs Vodi to live. I state the moonof our Realm and the Water Realms moon respectively. She looks at me, her brown eyes shining brighter than whenI had walked into the house. Her answer is not entirely what I had expected.

Can I think about it, Aiden? You kind of jumped at me when you popped the question. Besides, does myfather know? I nod, speechless. When I finally muster up the courage to respond, all I can think of saying is Yes, hedoes know, Katie, my sweetheart. He didnt respond in the way I had thought a father would. He told me he didnt

care, as long as we conceived in the end. Did he really say that, Aiden? That doesnt sound like something my father would say. But, I guess, since

he is grieving, it would really make no more of a difference to him than if my mother were, in fact, in good health.I know it wouldnt; when we visited him last, he seemed even more despondent than now.Oh, stop it, Aiden...I stop staring at her (again, please do not think that I fantasize about my girlfriend) and respond. Katie;

please say yes, my sweetheart. If I have wronged you, just... just let me know, okay? By now I have alreadyrestarted the car, and we are pulling up in front of the entrance to the palace. As I walk to the door and raise my handto knock, a voice, sounding closer than even Ilmatars was not too long before now, says Just come in... dont botherwith the usual formalities, whoever you may be. Katie and I walk through the door, and what do we see? The king ofthe Earth Realm crouched on the floor behind the door.

Ilmatar, what are you doing on the floor? Shouldnt you be out terrorizing your Realm?Yes, but, in case you didnt read the letter Egan sent to you, he isnt feeling very well; and the same with his

wife. They share so much, Aiden. Next I hear a quiet voice speak. I acknowledge the speaker as King Egan.So many memories unmade, so many things still left undone, so many days spent by her bedside... I do

hope she survives, Aiden. I hope it with all my heart. He sighs and tries to stand, but falls down again. Ilmatarreaches down and helps my disheartened king and future father-in-law to his feet. King Egan stands and brushes thedust off of his tunic. Another sigh escapes him. Katie walks over to her father and says Egan, you listen to me. Youare going to go over to your throne and place your crown on your head right now, or I swear to the tiny planet ofEarth, Mother will notget better. Do you hear me? King Egan sighs again and says Alright, my dear; whatever youwish.At that moment, Katies mother walks out of the large bedroom she shares with Egan and frowns.

Egan, what are you doing?A-Amethyst, my lovely... I had thought you were ill.Ilmatar speaks up. No, you didnt; you thought she was dying.Egan, Im fine; I was just tired, thats all. I promise you that I am getting better. Then King Egan does an

unusual thing; he grabs Queen Amethysts shoulders and shakes her hard enough to give her a headache (ordismember her; one of those two), a frown now masking his face instead of hers. The next thing he says comes out ina hiss.

How dare you tell me lies, woman; youve had that disease for ten years, Amethyst! For ten damn yearsthis... this virus, this infection has plagued our good cheer, our happiness!

Egan, I-Now tell me another lie, Amethyst; tell me you love me...Egan-Say it!No! I dont care if youre grieving, Egan; I amgetting better, and I do love you; with all my heart. Now you

look at me; does my skin look as pale as you professed it to be in the letter you wrote to our daughter?No; no, it doesnt... oh, my lovely... I am so sorry... I-I didnt realize...Forget it, Egan. Just forget it... just forget I even exist, like youve been doing for the past while... Queen

Amethyst begins to turn away, but he grabs her hand, pulls her toward him, and kisses her fingertips. He is probablyhoping to regain some sense of returned passion in their relationship.


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Please, my lovely; do not turn yourself away from me... When we got married, I told you I would love you forthe rest of our lives. Was I not right, Amethyst?

Yes, my dearest love; do you want to know why I have been in the bedroom for so long, Egan? I have beenwaiting for some signal, some indication that you want to give me another child, and yet I have not seen one.

Oh, Amethyst, my lovely; if you wish to have another baby, we can try again... He kisses her shoulder andnuzzles her neck, a sign that their tiff is now patched up.

Do you still want us here, Your Majesty? I ask this with a hint of curiosity.

No, no; its alright, Aiden. Now that I know my wife is feeling well once more, I can stop worrying. Katiewalks closer to her father and embraces him. See you later then, Father. Be good for Mother.You know I will, Katie. He kisses her hand and wishes us well in our future attempts to procreate. As we

leave the palace, my stomach starts to churn. I moan in pain, and Katie notices that I am feeling uncomfortable. Shesays Take some medicine when we get back, Aiden.

You want me to drive for two hourswhile Im in unbearable pain? She frowns. No, I dont; Im going todrive this time. You just rest in the passenger seat.I look at her, curious as to why shes being so kind to me. Youknow, Katie, we really should try for a baby. I think it would make both of us so happy.

Im not ready yet, Aiden; lets wait until we get married.If we everdo, that is...Oh, thats right; I technically still havent said yes, have I?No; I love you, Katie, and I hope to give everything I possibly have to you, sweetheart; even my virginity.I will say yes, then, my love; for your sake. I think youve been waiting for an answer for far too long.I asked you a little over half an hour ago, sweetheart.I still think thats much too long to wait. More kissing commences, and she sits on top of me. When she

starts to unbutton my shirt, I make some low guttural noise, a cross between a spitting sound and a groan, which wasprobably supposed to be a moan, but somehow ended up notbeing one, and she pulls away, breaking the kiss. I cansee some whitish substance on the corner of her plump ruby lips. She frowns and says You threw up in my mouth!?Why, Aiden? The first thing I think is Oh, thats whatit is.

Katie... sweetheart... I hold her to my chest and stroke her beautiful auburn hair, feeling its downy softnessagainst my fingertips. I swear I didnt know it was going to happen... She smiles and kisses me again, this time onmy neck, then places one long, beautiful finger on my lips. Shhh; its alright, Aiden. I know youd never intend ondoing something like that.

We should probably-Get going.Yeah.That night, I research symptoms of pregnancy in Air Realm females. Turns out that, when a female from the

Air Realm wants to be pregnant, or is in heat, she will display symptoms akin to those of Stelmans Syndrome.Hey, Katie, could you come here for a second?Yes, my love?

How much do you know about Stelmans Syndrome?Only a little; why?You mothers, ah, display, for lack of a better and less offensive term, may have had something to do with

her being... in heat.What are you saying?Didnt you hear what she said before we left? She said that shed been waiting in their room for a while

because she was searching for some sign that your father wanted to give her another baby.I didnt notice.What do you notice these days, Katie?Was that supposed to offend me, because its kind of starting to.Maybe it was, maybe it wasnt; how the hell am I supposed to know if it offends you?Tears start to stream down her face as she screams in my ear. Youre supposed to know because you said

it, Aiden, and it hurt my feelings! Do you know how hard it is for me to go about daily life without wondering whethertoday or the next might be my mothers last day on this planet? She says shes getting better, Aiden, but how are weall supposed to know without some confirmation from my father, or Ilmatar, or even Brook?

Katie-How, Aiden?Ten minutes later, she has confined herself to our bedroom; I walk over to the door and knock lightly.

Katie?Go away, Aiden!I just wanted to, uh... to apologize for what I said a few minutes ago. Im so sorry, sweetheart... I never

meant to say what I said. Tell you what; I will make us dinner tonight. She opens the door a crack and apologizes.Glad to know she still trusts me, if only to an extent at present. Sorry I snapped at you, Aiden... do you forgive me? Now she opens the door fully. I kiss her forehead and whisper Yes, my love. She crawls into my lap and curls upagainst my chest. That was our first fight, Aiden; always, my love.


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I think that deserves some celebration. Another kiss on her forehead, and then I make my way to thekitchen. She follows me and asks You sure you dont want me to help, Aiden?

Yes; Im sure, sweetheart; take the night off from being a housewife.Im sure this is just my opinion, but shouldnt celebration mean that more than two people get together to do

it?I agree with her.

Chapter Two: Celebrants

Later that night, our friends come over to celebrate the first argument I have had with Katie since we firststarted dating. River raises his glass and announces I propose a toast; to Katie, to Aiden, and to the dispute that hasevened out their relationship recently. Adam lifts his glass and shouts Hear, hear! On that note, I, too, propose atoast.The majority of the rest of us look at Adam inquisitively. Why do you raise your glass, Adam? Violet asks.

River never told you? I would have thought that you would be the first to know- River recently had hiscoronation. He is regretful that you never got to see it. I can see River inch away from Violet. She touches hisshoulder and croons Its alright, baby; Im not angry. I love you, River, and if you dont trust me now, what will we dowhen were finally married? Instead of backing away, as he had done before, River slides over to Violet and wrapsher up in his arms, like Earth-dwellers might with the contents of what they call a burrito. He then proceeds to kiss

and inhale the scent of her hair, which is pinned up in a light blue satin bow, and brushes the back of his hand on hercheek.

Sorry Ciro and Ayla couldnt make it River whispers in my ear. They had other things to do. In the sameinstance, we hear the stuttering motor of Ciros van. Both come into the house with their clothes askew and hairmessed up. Its exactlywhat you think.Dude, did you and her-? Ha-ha, yes! Adam hoots. He gets up, walks over to Ciro, and slaps him on the back, afterwhich Ciro lets out a few coughs."Yeah, we did. Afterward he mutters "And now she's carrying my bastard child..." The rest of us gasp. He looks atRiver. "I got your text, man. So we re celebrating Katie being bitchy towards our fellow guy?""No, not exactly; Katie and I just had a little bit of a fight-""And I am notbitchy!" she squeaks; I can see she is seething with anger. I step behind her, rub her shoulders twice,and kiss her perfect porcelain neck. "Just calm down, sweetheart... find your happy place, my dear..." She puts herhead on my chest and mutters "I amin my happy place; it's wherever you are, my love." I receive an embrace fromher before pulling away and saying "I must continue to prepare dinner." Adam snorts and says "Isn't that Katie's job?"before getting a punch in the shoulder from Marie. Before I leave the room, without responding to Adam's statementby saying "Apparently Marie's made him smarter, everyone." I can hear everyone- except Adam, of course- laughingin the other room. Knowing Adam, he'd probably be fuming with anger and thinking of millions of ways he couldmurder me right now; the only thing holding him back from that is Marie.An hour later, dinner is served; it is quite late to be eating the evening meal, but we don't mind it. The eight of us justeat, talk, and laugh as if it were breakfast at Lazarus or Kellie's place. There was no such thing as talking or laughingat Kate's house. Everything was too sinister, too ominous, to say anything above a whisper, especially with her owllooking over your shoulder. The even stranger thing was that Ciro knew what it "said" when it was screeching. Onetime we visited him, Ayla, and Kate, Ciro almost got his eyes clawed out; and for no reason, too! That was the lasttime we ever visited them again.


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After our friends leave, Katie and I lie down on the sofa and watch a chick flick together. I don't mind it; it gives me asense of being equal to her. She likes it as well; we enjoy sameness in the same ways that any other couple would inthis type of situation. We both adore the presence of each other in our lives and would rather die than be without theother. All of a sudden I feel tired, without really meaning to. As I rub my eyes, Katie caresses my face and mutters"Are you alright, my love? We can always continue watching the movie tomorrow." I nod, confirming my agreementwith her suggestion. I must admit that I do feel a tad tired, but definitely not enough to stop me from giving her whatshe wants. She is my world, my own personal Maurasia, and so I shall treat her with the same respect with which I

treat my planet.

Chapter Four: And You Are Here Because?

That same day, we get a surprise visit. "Aiden!" I can hear Katie yell from the staircase. "There are some people hereto see you!" As soon as I race down the stair, I can identify the "people" she is talking about: My parents; dearestMumsy and Pa. Neither of them makes any move to embrace or greet me with any level of family welcome. Here'sthe thing; my parents gave me up when I was 10. Around that time, I was also accepted into Melissa's home. That iswhen I met Katie, Melissa's eight-year-old niece, who lost her parents to a house fire. Mother is the first to speak."What is this; a Harlem?" No, actually it isn't, Mother. I would supremely appreciate it if you'd not comment on theappearance of my home in such a way as that. "No, Mother." Mother looks around again and asks "Where is yourmaid, Aiden? Do your help not have living quarters on the grounds?" I shake my head back and forth. "No, Mother.


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We have no help. It's just the two of us living here." I motion to Katie, and then to myself. Mother sashays over to thecurtains and pulls them shut. "I see... Richard, we must leave; our son does not require our presence any longer.""I have never, nor will I ever, require your presence, Mother!" Katie nudges my shoulder. "Aiden... stop..." I doimmediately; I love Katie, and will do all that I can to please her. If she is even the slightest bit disturbed, I strive to fixthat right away. Katie means the world to me, and if she is unhappy, then so am I. "Aiden, my love? Are you alright?Do you need a doctor?" I shake my head in disagreement. When Katies right, shes right, but when shes wrong...nothing need be said. "No Katie; I'll be fine. You can call them all you want, and book as many appointments as you

want, but I'm not going to the doctors office." She rolls her eyes and says "Jeez, you're so stubborn sometimes." Andsometimes I internally agree with our friends when they say you're bitchy. Instead of vocalizing my thoughts, I collectmyself and embrace her, while kissing her from temple to shoulder. She starts to moan and

Chapter Five: Memories Scrawled Upon My Mind

The next day, as I help Katie was the dishes from supper, I suddenly experience a flashback; one fromseven years ago:

My mother and father and I were walking in a park (I wont specify which park it was; it would just bringabout more bad memories) and suddenly, out of nowhere, my mother brings me to a tree and says Stay here, Aiden,my darling; Mama will be right back. I waited for 3 hours, but she never did come back for me. At that point, I decidedto leave my spot. After about twenty minutes of walking, I met up with Melissa, who, at that time, was just known tome as nice lady.She asked me where my parents were, so I told her I dont know . They just left me at a tree anddidnt come back. She then asked if Id like to live with her. I nodded; every little boy needs a mother, or at least amother figure, and so she was mine.

I feel someone poke me; Katie. Aiden; are you okay? Youve been washing that same dish for the past tenminutes. I look down to see her best serving-dish nearly worn away at the edges, a product of my distraction. I... Imsorry, Katie... I was just thinking... remembering.

Thank you for helping, Aiden, but I think you should go rest. You dont need to stress over your parents,honey... leave the past in the past-

My parents abandoned me, Katie! My mother hated me, so she left her little boy, who had done nothing toharm her, in a park, alone!

Oh, Aiden... I-I didnt know...Sorry for yelling, sweetheart.Shhh... Shhhh; hush, my love...


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Part Two: River


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The Bells, by Edgar Allan PoeHear the mellow wedding bells -

Golden bells!What a world of happiness their harmony

foretells!

Through the balmy air of night

How they ring out their delight!

From the molten-golden notes,

And all in tune,

What a liquid ditty floats

To the turtle-dove that listens, while shegloats

On the moon!

Oh, from out the sounding cells

What a gush of euphony voluminously wells!

How it dwells

On the Future! -how it tells

Of the rapture that impelsTo the swinging and the ringing

Of the bells, bells, bells, Bells, bells, bells -

To the rhyming and the chiming of the bells!


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Chapter Six: The Wedding

As I wait for my cue to approach the altar, I pace across the floor of my room; the room I keep tomyself, the room that is solely mine the room I wish I could share with Violet. She is in the

next room, though, preparing herself for her own march to the same location. She had told me

her dress was beautiful, that Idlike it and yet I have had nary a glimpse of it thus far. Untiltoday, that is. I can hear footsteps approaching the door. In preparation, I comb my hair back and

gel it in place. Through the mirror, I can see Adam enter the chamber. Hey, dude; you ready?

In a moment; my tie is crooked.

You cant get married with a crooked tie, now, can you?

Its improper presentation, Adam.

Oh, and Ilmatar and Brookforbid we should ever improperly present ourselves, River.He rolls his eyes in distaste. Come on, man; lets get you up on that altar, pronto. Almostimmediately, I find myself standing by the priest. As I look around the room, I recognize Katie

and Aiden; Ciro and Ayla; Violets parents, Jennifer and Craig, and her uncle Lazarus (who was

sent to jail for the crime of manslaughter, thereby freeing her parents, but was somehow allowed

a temporary probation to see his niece get married); Adam and Marie, though Id just seen Adam

not too long ago; all four Royals; the mermaid I had kissed what was her name?... Talia, and

many others who were invited simply because they were friends of Violets, not mine. As the

music begins to play, I search the aisle for Violet. Where is she? I ask the priest if he had seen

her; he gives a small shrug, after which I inform him that I am going to find my bride-to-be.Moments later, I arrive outside her dressing-room door. I knock, and she responds Go

away, whoever you are.Violet, my beloved its me

I said go away! I look ugly, and I dont want you to think that this is the way I ll be

dressed when were married.

Im breaking down the door if you dont let me in, Violet. At this, the door opens,revealing my scared fiance. Are you going to treat me that way all the time, River; even after

we are married?


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No, beloved, most certainly not; whats the matter, Violet? She looks down at the floor

or maybe a spot on her gown, and grimaces. I got my period just now; it bled through a fewlayers. She stands up and twirls slowly. See?

I see nothing, beloved. Youll be fine. Ill see you on the altar, beautiful. I kiss her

forehead and walk out.

A few minutes later, I see a glittering object pass behind the lattices set up on either sideof the aisle; Violet. When she finally reaches the altar, I grab her hand and kiss it, after which she

smiles.

I love you, River.

I love you, too, Violet. Thats the reason this wedding is taking place.

After we say our vows and kiss, we hop into Ciros van and are transported to a hotel (the

best our friends could do, but fancy nonetheless; besides, its the penthouse floor) and left alone.

Wow, its so beautiful from up here are you looking, too, River?

I have my own scenery right here. I scoop her up in my arms and kiss her silver lips

passionately. She giggles when I make my lips vibrate against her beaut iful skin. Stop it, she

says playfully, and then smiles and says River, I need to ask you something.

What is it, beloved? Is something wrong? Does something bother you? No, but Im not sure how to word this Um She bites her lower lip, thinking; I

find it charming when she does that. I dont think we should um make love tonight. Why

dont we wait for a couple weeks; I should be ovulating then. I love you, River, but Im not qui te

sure this is what I want... not now, at least. I look at her square-on for a few moments, after

which she says Damn it; I made you angry

No, no, beloved Im not angry

How can I be sure?

If I was even remotely upset, would I do this? I drag her over to the bed and tickle her.

Stop it, you! she squeaks. Thinking she is serious, I do stop this time. We should, um... weshould go to dinner. Everyone will be there.By everyone I mean Katie, Aiden, Ciro, Ayla,Adam, and Marie.

I thought it was just supposed to be the two of us...

The others wanted to join us, so I wasnt going to turn them down, Violet.

Thats okay, baby... I love you... Her stomach growls, a sign that she is hungry. I smile

and rub her belly.

Pretty soon youll be eating for two people, eh?

Mmmm... She pauses, and then she says Now Im not sure if I want a baby anymore,River...

Is something wrong, beloved?

No; I just, ah... I dont feel ready; not yet.

I see; thats quite alright, my beloved Violet. About what you said earlier... about

skipping making love tonight... I think youre right. We should wait until you are at the peak of

ovulation. I kiss her cheek and get up to pour us each a glass of wine. Violet hesitates, but thenshe takes the glass, takes a sip and sighs. Bye, bye, period cramps; thanks, baby. Youre the best

husband ever. She criss-crosses her index finger on my chest.

I know I am. I propose a toast; to a happy marriage, a healthy wife-

And lots and lots of babies! We both laugh at this.


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Later, during dinner, Violet starts to feel dizzy. I dont feel so good Katie is the first

to comment. Did you have anything to drink, Violet?Violet nods and whispers Wine was the

last thing I drank; it helped stop my cramps. It didnt taste like it should, though. The bottle saidit had a nutty taste; to me, it tasted more like chocolate; dark chocolate.

Hmmm River, did the wine taste different to you? I know for a fact that you were the

one who poured the wine.No; it had a nutty flavour. Violet probably just tasted it differently, is all.

Katie leans over and hisses in my ear If you drugged my friend, you are going to jail,

mister!

You think you can threaten me with that, Katie? Well you cant, so quit trying! ImIlmatars son, remember? Katie sits back down and grumbles. It is a known fact that Royals,

which, technically speaking, she and I are, cannot be arrested. Suddenly, without warning, Violet

collapses onto the floor of the restaurant. Adam, could you help me carry her back to the

penthouse? He nods and picks up her feet, whilst I grab her underarms.

Twenty minutes later, Violet is lying on the bed in our room, looking as peaceful as if she

really were asleep. After Adam leaves, I bite my lip and dab a damp cloth on her blazing

forehead. Please wake up, my belovedIm so sorry I did this to usSo it was you! I knew I couldnt trust you, River. Today was the happiest moment of

Violets entire life, and now its ruined. I turn around to see Katie standing by the doorway,arms folded in front of her chest. I look away again, without responding, and kiss Violets cheek.

Thirty-five minutes after Katie stops glaring, and eventually leaves, Violet wakes up.

What, is it River? Baby, whats wrong; why are you crying?

Thank God youre awake Suddenly, a banging noise can be heard; someone is trying

to break open the door.

River; River, what is going on? She clings to my chest, her fists crumpling the fabric of

my shirt. I dont know, beloved. My first-ever lie to my wife; great. Thats just what I needright now. To stop the hotel from charging me for partial demolition, I walk over and open it. In

doing so, I am nearly knocked unconscious by my father, Ilmatar (who is not only the King of

the Earth Realm, but the Water Realm as well), or, rather, his fists. I can hear Violet gasp as my

body hits the floor. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Mother, AKA Queen Brook, crouchingon the floor where I lay. Father roars at her: Brook, get up this instant; I demand it! Being thestrong type, my mother yells back. I have had enough of this, Ilmatar; enough yelling; enough

anger!

Or what, Brook; what would you do if I continued to yell?

I would leave you, and screw the consequences; Id rather have my eyes plucked out by

a tisegron than be with an aggressive, abusive husband! At this point, I sit up and rub my eyes;being married takes a lot out of a man. At least now I know how Father feels.

Father looks down at me and smirks. Wed better get our son to an apothecary, love.

Yes, we should... I am sorry I yelled at you, darling...

As well am I, love. Do you forgive me, Brook?

Of course, darling... She rubs her belly and sighs. Eleven months yet... In Maurasia,any pregnant womans gestation period is worth one of our years (about 14 months in Earth-

time), so Mother is 3 months pregnant with my baby sister. No offense, Ilmatar, but I just didntwant the baby to grow up thinking that their father is a drunken asshole that swears at his wife.

After she says the word wife, my head starts to feel like its... malfunctioning, like theres some

small, yet important part inside me thats breaking down; my heart? No, it cant be that. All of a


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sudden, my throat starts to close up and I feel my lungs refuse to do their job and let me breathe.

I can hear Mother say Violet, do us all a big, big, favor and call Ciro; get him to pick the four ofus up or bring an apothecary here. Tell him that River is having difficulty breathing. Violet nods

and rushes for the phone.

Hello; Ciro? Its Violet; King Ilmatar, Queen Brook and I need a ride to the hospital.

River needs medical help. He collapsed once, but hes sitting up now. He is also havingdifficulty breathing. My throat finally opens up, allowing me to take in mass amounts of

oxygen, that substance which is needed to make water, of the element which I am fully

composed. Sigh and I had thought my lungs would only fill with pure hydrogen.I do feellightheaded, though

He says hes feeling lightheaded, too; how soon- okay. She places the phone back into

the receiver, walks over to me, crouches and kisses my forehead. I voluntarily collapse into herarms, and she runs her fingers through my hair rhythmically. Dont you worry, baby; Ciro will

be here soon. He will help you out, River.

I know, beloved

Moments later, I hear a knock on the door; Ciro.

River he asks can you stand up, man? I try to, but my legs give way and collapseunderneath me. Ciro sighs. I dont know how the hell well get you downstairs, then. Father

snorts We carry him, you idiot.

Mother beams at her husbands brains and strokes him under the chin a few times. Or

you two strong men could help him walk downstairs; is that not a good idea? Father smiles; a

rare occasion, but its also a sign that he is happy. Ah, my wife you make my world go round;you know that, right?

Yes, my darling.

Later that night, while we lay in bed together, Violet asks me a question that she deems

as simple, when really, its not.

Do you really love me, or am I just a one-night-stand to you, River? I can see tears

materializing at the corners of her eyes, and so I kiss them into nonexistence. She places one

hand on my neck, and I know well be okay.

Violet... I do love you, my beloved... why else would I call you that? She shrugs and

asks a different question. How long was it before I woke up?

An hour, at the least, but youre fine now, beloved... youll be fine I will protect you,no matter what.

I know you will, baby Now, about getting pregnant...

I realize you do not want it, beloved.

I didnt mean I didnt want it eternally, River; if you want babies-

It isnt just about what I want, Violet; you must remember that I am also thinking of yourfeelings, too, my beloved.I kiss her neck, hoping shell forgive me for what I had so boldly

done to her earlier. "I realize that, River; but what if I'm not able to-""That doesn't matter, Violet... what matters, at least to me, is that we're together for the rest of

our lives." I kiss her hair and cuddle closer to her; she makes no attempt to back away or slap

me, whilst yelling "You jerk! How dare you!""But honestly, River; what will we do if I can't-"

"Don't you say those words, woman. I don't want to hear 'em."


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"So then I'll just be the quiet, obedient wife, while you're the aggressive, abusive, husband,

then?" These words shock me so much that I begin to stutter "V-Violet... I-I... I don't know whatto say..."

"How about you say my name, repeatedly?" Afterwards, I kiss her cheek. She smiles, not

knowing exactly what was meant by that normally romantic gesture. Youre feeling kissy

tonight, baby; are you sure you want to wait?Yes; I am completely sure, my beloved.A sigh escapes my lungs. I need you to know

the truth, Violet the horrible, horrible truth.

What is it?

You tasted the wine differently because I put a few crushed-up Ambien in it first

You deliberately knocked me out?

I never meant to; I swear itplease do not declare divorce, my beloved

I will never, ever declare divorce, River.Violets lips make contact with my own, and I

cant help but let out a small sigh. I dont pull away from her, nor do I push her further, so shebreaks the kiss and looks at me.

Whats wrong, River?

Oh, nothing; Im just happy, is all.Im happy that you trust me enough to kiss me again,even after what... what I did. Violet raises her hand and, thinking she will slap me, and so I

duck. She, however, does not; instead she caresses my face, and so I push my cheek into it."Hush, my love... you need your rest, and a good, hot cup of coffee in the morning." She yawns,

and I whisper in her ear "By the sounds of it, you do, too, my beloved wife" before kissing her

temples. As soon as both of our heads hit the pillows, we are fast asleep.

Sometime during the night, Violet and I wake up and start to tease each other. She pokes

me all the way down to my rib muscles and says Super poke... in a quiet voice. I wince once,

and curl my nose, but instead of backing away, I slide closer and lie on top of her back, whatwith my being a lightweight young man (about 125 pounds in weight, while Violet is 117

pounds). She flips around, exposing her semi-bare chest, and tantalizingly whispers in my ear

You want a piece of me, baby? I whisper back I dont just want a piece , my beloved; I want it

all. Im going for the gold this time, babe whilst lifting her nightdress. She giggles and says

Then take it all, baby; Its all yoursbefore letting out a small moan of pure pleasure. Mmmm,youre so good at this, baby... After this wonderful feat, we fall back asleep.


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Chapter Seven: The Honeymoon, Day Two

The next morning, I wake up to find Violet missing (from the bed, that is). After looking

around the bedroom, I give up; she isn't in here. As a last resort, I walk out to the living and TVroom in the penthouse (we purchased it). A sigh escapes my lips as I hear the turn of a page. I

read the book, or what I can see of it, and I gasp. It is none other than The Great Gatsby, the

book my mother hit my father with while I was in the Earth Realm with our friends. Violet hearsme catching my breath and turns around. Whats wrong, River? Baby, whats wrong? Are youokay?I nod. Um... yeah; Im fine. Just tired, I guess.

Youre gonna need that cup of coffee, then, my love.

Are we doing something today?

I thought wed go shopping today.We forgot to grab our stuff from Uncles house, and

hes the only one who has a key. Id also like to get some new clothes.

We can go get the key from him, Violet. Violet sighs and changes the subject. You

know last night was the best night of my life, right?What happened last night?

Well, you we really sleepy, but you said Screw it, lets try and you undid my bra-

I got it, Violet. I was tired, but we fooled around anyway; aka, youre pregnant. She

clutches her stomach, gasps, and whispers Did you not want-

I do want it, but I thought we were waiting.

Then why are you angry at me?

Im not angry, Violet. Im just... Im just scared. She delicately raises a hand to her lips

and gasps. "Scared? I-I didn't know it would-"

"Hush, my beloved... it's alright. If you want, Violet, we can make love again, tonight;just to be sure, you know?"

"I don't want you to feel like you're being pressured into fatherhood, River."

Im not feeling anything close to that, my dear. I caress her face as a sign of my love

and sympathy. We press our foreheads together and make out again. I dont want you to feellike yourebeing pressured either, beloved. I sigh again, but this time it ishappier. You lookso beautiful no, gorgeous; today, every day... Its just now that Im figuring out who she

really is, who my wife is going to be.

Later that day, Violet and I go to The Strip, a little cluster of malls in Middle Maurasia

that has a ton of clothes that she loves. In every dressing room, I tell her my honest opinion, andin every dressing room, I get creepy glares from other women until the last store, that is.

If youre wondering what happened in the last store we went to, Ill tell you: We saw Aiden and

Katie, which got me, well... distracted. Violet has to pretty much yell to stop me from talking to

him. River! I asked you three times, how do I look in this dress? I peek into the stall and reply,

with a gasp It looks absolutely beautiful on you, Violet... You know what she does with that

dress, the one that I really liked, with its blue gradient-style fabric and sequins? She puts it back

on the rack and snaps at me I hope you're happy, River; I really liked that dress, and now I can't

have it because my husband doesn't like it. I grab hershoulders and cuddle her from behind.

I did like it, Violet. It looked really pretty on you. If you go get it from the rack I will buy it for

you, my beloved wife.


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I thought you didn't like it; it just seemed that way, at first glance.

After I purchase the dress for her, Violet is as happy as any wife who gets a present from theirhusband, and so she jumps up and down and squeals like a little girl.

You are the best husband ever she tells me, and then whispers seductively "I think you deserve

a treat tonight..." I could guess what that treat is.

Part Three: Adam


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Part Four: Ciro

Air

Naturally it is night.

Under the overturned lute with itsOne string I am going my wayWhich has a strange sound.This way the dust, that way the dust.I listen to both sidesBut I keep right on.I remember the leaves sitting in judgment


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And then winter.I remember the rain with its bundle of roads.The rain taking all its roads.Nowhere.Young as I am, old as I am,I forget tomorrow, the blind man.I forget the life among the buried windows.The eyes in the curtains.The wallGrowing through the immortelles.I forget silenceThe owner of the smile.This must be what I wanted to be doing,Walking at night between the two deserts,

Singing.William Stanley Merwin

Chapter Fifteen


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Chapter Sixteen

Documents

Elements Book Two