Chapter Three - Unexpected

Nemesis awoke, he was feeling cold, the warmth of the body beside him has disappeared. As he looked around he spotted her by the mirror.

He smiled and watched as she looked at herself, even though he couldn't see her face he knew the exact expression that was on her face. Getting up quietly and stretching he walked over to her.

"What are you doing?"

He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed her face.

"Nothing...I'm just nervous."

He chuckled softly and looked into her eyes as she watched him.

"You needn't be, Lady Snow has a kind heart, she will grant our wish."

She turned to face him, placing her hands on his waist. He stroked her hair away from her face and kissed her forehead.

"Trust me love, everything will be fine."

She smiled up at him, kissing his chin.

"I believe you."

"You want to marry and leave us Nemesis?"

Lady Snow's tone was curious, as though she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Yes my Lady, it is my greatest wish."

She watched him, her arms folded, she had always been unreadable and not for the first time did he wish he could read her mind. She had always been benevolent to him, he had served her and her family well just as his boon instructed...

But it was time, time to leave, time to get his own life, the rest of his family could carry on the promises that had been made.

"Very well Nemesis, I will grant you your freedom."

He bowed low and stood, smiling at her, his heart light.

"Thank you so much My Lady."

"There is...one more thing..."

She stood and faced him, a purple light shooting from her fingers, Nemesis' eyes widened in surprise as it shot forth and wrapped around him, suspending him a few feet from the ground.

"My...Lady?"

His tone was hoarse, full of fear as he struggled to break free.

"Did you really think it'd be that easy Nemesis? To just walk away? How could I let such a powerful creature slip through my grasp?"

Her tone was full of disgust and rage, like he had asked the worst thing on earth of her.

A great fire shot through his body and he couldn't help but cry out as he dropped to his knees, he could feel himself changing, his true form being revealed.

"My Lady, please!"

A harsh bark of laughter escaped her throat.

"You'll get what you want Nemesis, but first you must do one thing for me. To retain my power I must have no opposition. Kill the girl and you will be free."

She chuckled as he fell forward, he felt as though his blood were fire, burning him from the inside out. He knew he was doomed, if he did not fulfill her wish he was breaking the oath made by his ancestors to her family, but if he did, he would be breaking that very same oath.

To protect and serve until the heart is returned...

As his body settled and shook, his heart plummeted. He would be free...when he was dead.

He shot up, his eyes wild as he looked around, his body covered in sweat as he tried to catch his breath. It was just a dream, a very bad one.

He relaxed slightly, it had been eleven long years with no word or sign of the Lady or her people, but that never stopped him from keeping up his guard. He sighed and sat up, the poison and curse of not fulfilling his oath was slowly eating away at him, it showed in his face and demeanour and he had been feeling so much worse lately.

He knew that once he was gone there would be no one to protect Rose, keep her safe from the eyes of the Lady. The Master had taken them in as a favour, hidden them in plain sight as servants, but Nemesis could feel things changing, feel the time slipping away.

"I'm so sorry Rose..."

If things didn't change soon, he would no longer be around, and then...

Well, he didn't want to think about it.


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"May I come in?"

The door opened and Somer walked in, she would never know just how relieved I was to see it was only her.

"Well..."

She smiled at me, it was a big difference to what I had seen earlier in the afternoon.

"Your meeting went well I take it?"

Those words opened the floodgates and she could not stop gushing about Lord Orion.


"Oh Rose, he is just so nice and handsome, and rich too! He's just...perfect!"

She smiled and looked at me,

"I have you to thank Rose, if it weren't for you I don't think I would have come out of my room today and then I would have missed out."

"There is no need-"

"Yes, there really is. I truly do think he is the one for me."

She pulled me over to the lounge chair and continued her gushing, relaying the conversations they had been having. I nodded absently, all I could think about was my own and how he had called my name pretty. I had no right to be jealous, but she was right, he was kind and handsome, and now that I knew he was a Lord...

It was time to forget about him.

For the next week and a half Somer spent every day with Lord Orion, I had no idea what they talked about but she always seemed so happy and glowing after their exchanged. My Lady watched from the door, a small smile on her face as she watched.

"It seems to be going well, don't you think Rose?"

I nodded as I watched, Somer's beautiful tinkling laugh reaching our ears.

"It should be any day now that he will ask for her hand...my baby is growing up."

I smiled sadly, once Somer was gone, that would be one more friend I had lost. Growing up was no fun.

As I was on my way to do the laundry a few days later I spotted Padraic watching.

"Hello Rose, how are you?"

He smiled at me but kept his eyes on his lord, he was a diligent man at arms, constantly on alert for danger toward him. I had gotten to know him a little better when he came to get food to serve to Lord Orion and Somer, he acted as page whilst here so that no one but myself and he ever came into contact with it.

"We will be leaving soon."

"I will be sad to see you go."

He smiled at me gently,

"As we will be sad to leave, my Lord has spoken fondly of you and your helping him again."

Spoken of me? I had seen him around a few times while he was here, but we hadn't spoken since the first day, when I had given him directions. He always smiled at me but I didn't think he would remember me, I shook my head figuring that Padriac was just relaying a nice gesture.

"I am going to miss Somer when she leaves."

My tone was wistful and I sighed, she wouldn't miss me, I was just a servant, she would have better things to do like keeping house and having gorgeous children.

I picked up my laundry baskets and headed back toward the clothes lines.

"Excuse me?"

I looked up having finished hanging out the last of the clothing, I was surprised to find a young woman I did not recognise, she was beautiful and she was smiling at me. It took me a moment to snap out of my stupor.

"Um yes?"

"Could you please...inform me on where I might find Nemesis?"

Nemesis? Did she mean Nem? I never knew that was his full name, it seemed kind of odd.

"Uh, the only person I know close to that name is Nem, he would be in the kitchens right now."

She smiled at me softly and I felt like I was being dazzled by the sun.

"I thank you."

With a bow she turned and left and I had to shake my head to clear the fuzziness.

What was that? 

I didn't have time to think about it as I heard a crash from The Master's drawing room and then raised voices, startled I made my way back into the manor.

 What I saw surprised me and stopped me in my tracks.

"I won't father, I won't do it!"

"You'll do as you're told and you'll do it quietly."

I couldn't understand what was going on, why Somer was so upset.

"It is for the family, this is why you were born, raised. To better our name."

"Why isn't Jans married then? Why must it fall to me?"

I could hear the despair in her voice, she was breaking and there was nothing I could do about it.

"That will come in time, when the opportunity arises, for now it is on your shoulders."

"I hate you!"

With a gasp, tears streaking down her face she ran from the room, she didn't even see me as she stumbled past and down the corridor.

"My Lord...is everything ok?"

I was bewildered, but he just nodded and sighed.

"It is as it should be, this is her fate and she will come to realise it in due course."

I had no idea what that meant, but the events of the past few days had exhausted me. All I wanted to do was sleep.

I finished whatever tasks I had left, it felt like today had been going forever. Sighing, I made my way to my room, ready to rip off my clothes and tumble into my bed.

"Rose?"

I was startled by the voice and slowly turned to find Jans there.

"What...are you doing here?"

He shook his head sadly, as though my reaction to his presence pained him.


"Don't worry, it's not that it's just....Somer is missing..."

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"So...here you are."

That voice, Nem stood frozen not believing his ears as he turned to face her.

"You...what are you doing here? How...?"

His questions trailed off as he stared at her and she smiled.

"Is that any way to speak to your fiance...Nem?"

She stood leaning against the wall,


"I've finally found you. I'm never letting you out of my sight again."

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