Bound By Blood

Chapter 2

The room was silent as everyone stared at Dominick in curiosity. He didn't blame them, after all, he probably looked like a gobsmacked fish with this wide eyes and a jaw he was sure was hanging by the floor, but he couldn't help it. The girl in front of him looked almost exactly like her. Her face, her nose, her lips, the shape of her eyes, everything, save for the colour of her hair and eyes. Well that and the fact that she was younger than her.

He was brought out of his trance by a voice calling out 'sir?' He shook his head and cleared his throat, and turned back to the girl.
'I apologise,' he said. 'It's just that you look almost exactly like someone I used to know.' The girl cocked her head to the side as she mused over his statement.
'Almost?' she asked. He nodded his head.
'You could be an exact copy of her save for your eyes and hair,' he replied. 'Her eyes were blue and she had hair so red, they put the flames to shame.' Her eyes narrowed at his answer.
'My hair is...' she started as she grabbed a lock of hair, but then stopped once it was in front of her. She frowned. He watched her as she stared intensely at the few strands of hair, her eyes narrowed in thought. Is...?

The girl in front of him let out a sigh. She shook her head as she let go of her hair and turned her attention back to him.
'Never mind,' she said. 'You're the one who found me, right?' she waited for his nod of confirmation and continued, 'could you tell me what happened? No, actually, where am I?' she asked.

He was surprised at her lack of fear or apprehension but answered anyway:
'To answer your first question, I was hoping you'd tell me,' he began. 'I was on a run when I found you passed out in the forest in the middle of the night with nothing on but a thin dress. It's a wonder you didn't freeze to death,' he said. He watched her but all she did was furrow her brows in confusion, so he continued on: 'as for the answer to your second question, you're in the Citadel of Central Elynthia.'

He watched as her brows crinkled in confusion, only for her eyes to widen to the size of saucers a few seconds later.
'Central what?'
'Elynthia-'
'No I heard you.' She said. 'But I was hoping I heard wrong.' She pushed her fingers through her hair as she let out a groan and let her head fall back to the pillow, and her hands covered her face.
'How in the name of all things holy did I end up in Elynthia?' he heard her mutter.

He had to admit he was amused. He thought she would stare at him in awe like all the others, but she surprised him when she acted as if being in to the most secure place on Elynthia, Terra or Dragona was an everyday occurrence.
'Judging by your response,' he said, 'you have don't remember how you got passed the border either.'
'The border?' she asked while uncovering her face and turning her head to look at him. She rose to a sitting position while speaking: 'I don't even remember passing the boundary and you're asking if I remember passing some border!' her voice was near hysterics, her eyes glaring daggers in his direction. Boundary?

He opened his mouth to reply but was stopped by the blonde who told him the girl was awake.
'I apologise for interrupting,' she said, 'but I think it would be better if the Lady calms down and has a bath to relax. She just spent three days in a coma after all.' He saw her fidgeting under his gaze as she tried to make herself look smaller.
'I'm sorry, did you just say what I think you said?' the petite woman shrunk further as the blonde on the bed spoke. She didn't even wait for an answer as she slid of the bed while muttering: 'sleeping for three days...of course I want a shower.' Once she was on her feet, she glanced down to see what she was wearing only to shrug at the thin nightie and make her way towards them and stop in front of the short women standing a few feet away from him.
'Right,' she said. 'Could you show me the way to the bath?' she asked. 'And possibly find me something to wear?'

Dominick watched the woman squirm as all eyes turned to her.
'It's...I'm just...I'm not...I mean...' she shrunk back further. Dominick took pity and spoke up:
'I can get a maid to show you to a room and bring you a change of clothes if you'd like.' He smiled a little as the short woman relaxed a little, but the other blonde didn't seem to like his answer if the daggers sent his way were any indication.
'Did I ask for a maid?' she asked. He frowned, not sure where this was going.
'No,' he replied, 'you didn't.'
'Then no,' she said. 'I asked Stormy over here because I want her to do it.' She looked at him in the eye. 'Unless that's a problem?' she continued, her eyes daring him to refuse. His eyes narrowed at the challenge, his body rigid as his muscled stiffened, ready to attack.