The Chronicles of Delilah Faylinn: Volume 2

"Back to Life, Back to Reality..."

(Advisor) Sir, she has been laying there with no sign of change for the past three years. I believe it is time to let her go.

(Lovell) She is still breathing on her own is she not? She is still alive! There is no future in that.

(Lovell) Once again, she is not dead and shame on you for treating her as if she is!

    Unbeknownst to Lovell and his advisor as they argued,  Delilah's body was beginning to stir. First, her fingers twitched ever so slightly and then her toes. Her eyes rolled around hidden behind her eyelids. With a gasp of air Delilah jumped up from her slumber as if she had just had a nightmare.

(Delilah) Why are you shouting?!

(Advisor) Do my eyes deceive me?! Is she awake?!

(Lovell) Delilah! You're finally awake!

    The advisor fainted onto the floor and Lovell slapped him to awaken. 

(Advisor) I am so sorry, I will take my leave sir, I must spread the good news!

(Delilah) Why is he so excited? What is going on?

(Lovell) Be careful moving about. I want to get you looked at before you get out of bed.

(Delilah) I am fine, why are you acting so weird?

(Lovell) You have no idea do you?

(Delilah) What are you talking about?

(Lovell) Delilah, you have been in this bed for three years.

    Delilah could not grasp the reality of what Lovell was saying. Time to her in the realm of "Unfortunate Souls" seemed to move a lot slower than three years. A day to there seemed to be equivalent to a year here. She could only fathom being asleep for a couple of days at the most! Delilah looked about her room attempting to make sense of her surroundings. Everything seemed a bit different than she remembered.

(Lovell) What happened to you? Do you remember anything?

(Delilah) I remember everything...

    Lovell listened intently as Delilah recounted everything that happened while she appeared to be unconscious to them. Lovell could not believe what he was hearing and tried his best not to interrupt with his plethora of questions.

(Lovell) All this time we thought you were unconscious! Did she come back with you? Can you feel her right now?

(Delilah) I do not think that is how it works. I do not feel her presence as I did before. There are not two of us in one body. There is just me and there is her where my soul should be, she has no control anymore.

(Lovell) Good! I don't think we could handle another bout with her, and I would keep that information just between us for now. How do you feel?

(Delilah) I feel better, complete even. I think I will be fine. Don't worry yourself.

(Lovell) Just rest for now. You should still be looked over just in case. Let me go and get someone.

(Delilah) Wait a moment. Why does everything look different? What happened while I was away.

(Lovell) We have plenty of time to discuss things once you have fully recovered.

    Lovell just could not bring himself to burden Delilah with everything that changed while she was gone. The execution of the late "Governors Council" resulted in the absence of a governing body between Amaris and Edom. Both sides have once again began feuding with each other for power and to place blame. The Radagast family blamed Delilah for everything and they made it known to anyone who would listen. Lovell had only managed to keep the promise of a civil war at bay simply for the fact that he was a neutral party to both sides having been born and raised in Amaris with lineage as a Radagast. For the time being he has been able to qualm rising conflicts but there is no telling how long that will last.

    Most of Lovell's days consisted of peace talks and council meetings. His only refuge for years was visiting Delilah as she slept with the hope that she would one day wake up. Now that the day had finally arrived he would not waste it forecasting doom.

    As Lovell had promised, he sent for someone to look after Delilah ensuring her health was in fact as good as she claimed it to be. He found comfort in knowing that it was but still insisted that she take as long as she needed to fully recover, after all she had not left her bed for three years.

    It wasn't too long before Delilah became restless and had just about enough of all the coddling and attention. She took it upon herself to find Lovell after hearing a rather large commotion occurring in the compound. Delilah did not bother to get dressed in formal attire and raced towards the fuss in her silk pajamas and matching house coat.  She searched  the halls until she finally found the source of all the noise. Without concerning herself with what she was about to walk into, she raised her hand out in front of her and spelled the doors open with such force that it startled everyone in the room commanding their attention. Delilah searched the room for Lovell then met his gaze once she found him sitting at the head of a very long and fully seated table. 

(Delilah) What is this Lovell? What is all the fuss about?

(Lovell) Do not worry yourself right now you should be resting, my love.

(Delilah) I am tired of resting and quite frankly who could rest with all of this noise!

(Radagasts) So it's true! The demon spawn that slayed our beloved son lives!

(Delilah) Who are you calling a demon?!

(Radgasts) You, you she devil! Our son took you into his home! He gave you the best that money could buy and you killed him!

(Delilah) You're "beloved son" forcefully took me from my home, had my family sent to prison and then had them killed! You know nothing!

(Lovell) That is enough! You do not speak to her like that! You have no right to speak on matters you do not understand! My father was a monster, you have no idea what he put us through!

    The Radagasts fell silent. Delilah had never seen Lovell so empowered and in control. Come to think of it, his entire appearance had changed. It was obvious that he had grown older but now he was more refined and chiseled. He was more beautiful than Delilah remembered him to be. Lovell gestured for one of the aids to to bring in another chair for Delilah to sit next to him at the head of the table. He could see in her face that she was now determined to stay in the meeting. Delilah nodded a silent thank you to Lovell and quickly took her seat.

(Lovell) Now we will all attempt to reconvene in a more civilized manner, so that we can get through this meeting. Also please understand that Delilah is not abreast of any issues that have occurred in the last three years so please behave accordingly. 

    Delilah decided to remain silent as the meeting went forward. She listened to both sides quarrel and paid strict attention to how Lovell handled each disagreement. He was indeed a leader and inspiring to watch. Thank goodness for his formal training years or things would have spiraled out of control. It was now that she understood how much he cared for the people and the consequences of her past actions. Before the meeting was over both sides came to an agreement that a new counsel needed to be elected with Lovell being the deciding vote as the head member of the counsel. They all understood and respected his position as a neutral party. Lovell dismissed the meeting and all representatives left the compound.

(Delilah) That was amazing what you did in there and thank you for standing up for me. I have really made a mess of things haven't I?

(Lovell) You never have to thank me. It was the truth, they have no idea what really happened and I owe them nothing in telling them. Things are in deed a mess right now, but it will get better.

(Delilah) You sound like a true diplomat. I had no idea you had that in you.

(Lovell) These last couple of years have really matured me, but enough about that. How about we have some dinner and have a walk about the grounds. I think you will like it.

    Delilah and Lovell enjoyed a lovely dinner and took time to catch up on everything and spend some well deserved time alone. She took the time to appreciate all the work Lovell had done in repairing their home, as well as to admire the man he had become. As a matter of fact, she realized that now he looked like a modified version of his father.

(Delilah) You look like your father now you know?

(Lovell) Uggh! Don't remind me!

(Delilah) You carry it better though!

(Lovell) Nice save!

    Lovell walked Delilah to her room and ended the night with a kiss, after urging her to get her rest. Delilah at first wasn't expecting the kiss but she gave in to it. It was nice to know that even with everything they had gone through that their feelings for each other had not changed. Delilah laid awake that night realizing that she had no one else in her corner but Lovell, her family was long gone.

(Lovell) Whoa! Slow down Delilah! There is plenty of food to eat!

(Delilah) What do you mean?

(Lovell) You were eating just now like an animal!

(Delilah) No I wasn't. I have not ate anything yet!

(Lovell) Look at your plate, there isn't a crumb left on it!

(Delilah) Well, that's funny. I don't even remember picking up a fork.

(Lovell) Well clearly you did! I guess it's excusable technically. You have been force fed for three years!

(Delilah) Maybe I just spaced out for a minute I guess.

(Lovell) You're serious?! You don't remember eating?

(Delilah) No. I don't even remember walking down here for breakfast.

(Lovell) Sebastian! Call the doctor right now for a house visit!

(Delilah) No, I am fine really. there's no need!

(Lovell) Are you sure? At least have Sebastian walk you to your room. 

(Delilah) Ok, fine Mr. Worry Wart!

    Delilah permitted the house aid to walk her to her room. All the while she felt a little displaced or she would have never given in to Lovell's request so quickly. She refused to spend any more time in her bed than she absolutely refused to be surrounded by a bunch of doctors poking and prodding trying to figure out what was wrong. 

    Over the course of a couple of weeks Delilah continued to have occasions where she lost moments in time. She kept them all a secret from Lovell and found herself becoming more and more withdrawn. It became easy for her to slip away as the upcoming elections demanded all of Lovell's time and energy. Even though his seat was guaranteed he still had to make every effort to ensure a fair process for the other members. The agreement stood that there would be four members representing each province or district from Amaris and Edom respectively. 

    The election was fierce. Instead of campaigns, the provinces and districts opted for a series of games designed to test aptitude, diplomacy, piety, historical knowledge and competency. In this way the chosen official for each province and district would be elected based on their own merit and less chance for corruption in comparison to the last council. The elected representative would truly be an ambassador for the people, not a nobleman with deep pockets.

    The games went off in each province without a hitch and one by one the victor had become a celebrated official. Once the new council took office surprisingly their first agenda was doing something about Delilah. Some of the officials believed that Delilah was a threat to the people and should be put on trial for her misdeeds and the chaos that followed. Lovell's hands were tied in the matter because he was expected to be fair and therefore privy to the demands of the people. He assured Delilah that it would be a fair hearing and that it was only an inquisition to calm the fears of the people. He was however horrendously surprised when guards were sent to their compound to bring Delilah in for the hearing.

(Lovell) What is the meaning of this?!

(Guards) We are here to escort the "accused" to the hearing.

(Lovell) "Accused"?! Accused of what?!

(Guards) We do not know the details Mr. Radagast sir, we are just doing our jobs. Is the one known as Delilah present?

(Lovell) Do not call me Mr. Radagast! This is preposterous! I demand to know who sent you!

(Guards) The "Governors Council" sir.

(Lovell) How dare they?! They did not inform me of this! I will not allow them to make a spectacle of this case!

(Guards) What will you have us do sir? 

(Lovell) Go back and inform them that "I" will escort her myself! She is no criminal! I will not allow her to be treated in this manner!

(Guards) As you wish sir...

    The guards took their leave just as Delilah was coming down the spiral staircase. Lovell quickly closed the door so that she was unable to see the suits that were walking away. He could not bring himself to try and explain what just happened and he definitely did not want to make her worry. Once thing for sure was that this hearing would not be as simple as he was made to believe.

(Lovell) We must ready ourselves for the hearing. The council has simply sent us a reminder visit.

(Delilah) Why do you look so bothered?

(Lovell) Only because the protocols initially set in place are not being followed. Are you ready love, because we should head out soon.

(Delilah) What is the rush, my love? You seem extremely anxious. What's wrong?;

(Lovell) I need to attend a briefing before the hearing is all. 

(Delilah) Do I need to be worried?

(Lovell) Not at all! I will be with you the entire time. You can relax. I won't let anything happen to you.

(Delilah) Ok, let me grab my covering.

    When the driver opened the limo door for Delilah she looked up an noticed Lovell walking to the other side still appearing a bit flustered  and somewhat angry. By the time they both entered the limo Lovell noticed her staring and quickly changed his expression. He sparked a random conversation to divert her focus on him. She felt the tension and at the same time realized that this would not be an ordinary hearing if he was acting this way. She began to prepare herself mentally for the worst. 

    As the limo stopped in front of the "Hall of Justice" Lovell noticed the same guards were present and waiting for them at the entrance. This enraged Lovell but he tried his best to save face in front of Delilah. Lovell opened the door for Delilah and reached for her hand to assist her out. Once Delilah took his hand he held intently as if to never let it go. As he kept his eyes on the guards he whispered into her ear...

(Lovell) No matter what happens, I am with you.

(Delilah) Is there something you are not telling me?

(Lovell) I am not sure what is going on but it is quite evident that this will not be a standard hearing...