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"Freelight! Freelight! Freelight!..." ~ The chanting in the background is ominous as she walks towards her parents. Her heart skips a beat as she notices the grim expression on Aragorn's face and Eilonwy's disappointed gaze. ~ "Father! Mother! Please... listen to me..."
"There is nothing to listen!" ~ He replies, his face as cold as marble ~ "I had such hopes on you, restoring the honour of our family... and you have worsened our reputation! You have failed me!" ~ Turning to Eilonwy, he scowls ~ "All your fanciful dreams and wishes have come to this! I wish she'd never been born!"
Eilonwy raises her anguished eyes to her husband ~ "How was I to know? You cannot hold me responsible for this! I died giving birth to her...you failed in her education!" ~ She turns and whispers to Mistral ~ "Go on, apologise to your father..." ~
Before she can respond to her mother's plea, Aragorn cuts in again ~ "Never! I will never accept her apologies! She is a disgrace to the Freelights! We have never had a woman bring such dishonour onto herself and to the family... and Mistral is supposed to be disciplined and intelligent. She must have had a part to play in this!"
Collapsing on her knees, she begins to sob ~ "I swear to Mystra that I am innocent! My only failing was to trust Fabian... he must have spiked my drink... I..." ~ "Enough! I don't want to hear all this, especially not in front of our loyal subjects." ~ He looks at Eilonwy with a determined stare ~ "You know what the rules are, Eilonwy. We cannot break them ." ~
"No!!! Please, Aragorn, don't do this..." ~ Her mother's face drains of colour ~ "I beg you..." ~
"Guards! Escort Lady Eilonwy into her room, as she is clearly unwell." ~ Aragorn orders are promptly obeyed. He casts a final venomous look at his daughter before walking off ~
As she stares in bewilderment at her retreating parents, she gives a scream as pain strikes her on the arm. Turning, she sees a deep gash in her right arm, caused by the sharp edges of the rock thrown by a little boy. Glancing around, she senses the carnival atmosphere of the crowd, each armed with his or her own stone and pebble. A wave of panic hits her ~ "No...please..." ~ The only replies she hears are snickers and derisive snorts. The crowd begins raining stones on her...
In reality, she tosses and turns, a cold sweat breaking out at her temples. Her hands grasp for her blades blindly and she kicks ferociously ~ "No!"~ She gives a soft cry, suddenly opening her eyes. Sitting up, she pulls the blankets from the floor back up to her chest and looks around in terror. ~ So it was a dream... and yet how real it seemed... ~
She gazes out of the window; it is completely dark. Wearily, she lowers herself onto the bed and closes her eyes again.
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