fandomtownies | The Fourth Sin, Tuesday--OPEN

"Sounds...cold." Actually, it sounded an awful lot like Parker's life after her mother's death had been.

"Maybe. But compared to what she had before, I suppose it was impressive." It actually sounded like the girl was taken to some futuristic world, with washers and dryers and microwaves, if you thought about it.

The next part was the part she'd meant to practice, but now she just had to tell it. Keeping her voice even, she said, "When she wanted to go to sleep that night, the girl rang the silver bell, and was immediately transported to a beautiful bedroom, hung with gold and silver and white sheets. When she finally put out all the lights, and got into bed, a man crawled into bed with her, under the darkness."

He smiled. "I think I see where this is going...but I'm not sure sex slaves are appropriate for a children's story, Parker."

Parker started laughing again, jolted out of whatever embarassment she'd been fighting. "Dork. They were married. Common-law married, anyway. That's just understood in fairy tales, even if there's no ceremony. And I seriously doubt there was any kind of slavery involved, since she fell in love with her husband. Even though she never got to see him."

"How do you fall in love with someone you never get to see?" Jarod asked, quietly. He wasn't sure if he'd fallen in love with Parker, or when, but he certainly hadn't been this confused when he didn't see her regularly.

"I suppose... a voice in the dark? Kindness? Comfort..." Parker cleared her throat, not sure what her tone there had given away, but afraid it had sounded a little too wistful. "So. This went on for several months, with our heroine alone with the bear during the day, and her husband in the dark of night. But she grew more and more lonely, and finally asked the bear if she coud visit her family."

"She asked the bear?" Jarod asked. "Wouldn't it have made more sense to ask her husband some night? Or ask him to bring her family to him..."

Yes, he was being purposely literal. So what?

Parker grinned, not sure if he was being deliberately obtuse, but said, "The bear was there in the day. And that would be when she'd visit, so, whatever." She yawned a little, and said, "The bear was okay with it, but said, 'you must promise not to talk to your mother alone, if you visit them; for you will bring terrible luck on us both if you do.'"

"Yeah, I definitely see where this is going..." Jarod smiled. "Curiosity's such a burden."

"Not just curiosity. She shouldn't have promised, if she couldn't keep the promise." Parker paused. "But yes, she went, she visited, and her mother talked to her alone, and convinced her to light an oil lamp one night, to see her husband. 'Maybe you are married to a troll, or a monster!'" Parker sighed. "I don't think that's why she did it, though."

"Why do you think she did it?" Jarod closed his eyes and tilted his head back. "It's not like it's not normal maternal behavior to be concerned about your child. Or so I've heard."

"I'm sure that's why the bride's mother talked her into it. But I think the bride--" Parker's voice trailed off as she thought, then grew stronger. "I think she couldn't bear not knowing who he was. I think she loved him before she saw him, and not knowing this last thing must have been eating at her, making her doubt that he loved her. Otherwise, why would he hide in the dark? What did he do, in the daylight?" Her voice softened. "Love can be possessive, when it has limits set on its expression."

"It's why people commit murder," Jarod replied, eyes still closed. "And maybe his hiding in the dark is more about his fear of what she'd say or do if she knew the truth. Maybe he wanted to be perfect for her because he thought that was what she deserved, but knew he fell short of her expectations."

"I mean, he was a bear, Parker."

"Perfect... I don't know. Would she even want that? Or would she have to live up to it?" Parker laughed very softly. "Oh, you spoiled the big surprise. Story's over. Good night!"

"Why would she have to live up to the false front he's putting on? If she does that, she doesn't really love him--she just fell in love with his persona."

"Wait!" He started laughing. "What was the big surprise? I'll be good, Parker, I promise," he purred.

"Maybe that's why it's better they met in the dark. So she could love him, and not care about the beastly part. Who was still her friend-- after all she was never afraid of him."

That voice, God, that was a voice for talking her into bad, bad things, and Parker felt a slow blush of heat work its way up her neck and across her face. "Sure you will," she said as tartly as she could. He could probably hear her breathing slow and stutter. God. "And so, she took the oil lamp, and lit it after he fell asleep, and..." She smiled, drawing it out again.

Jarod's train of thought derailed slightly at the idea of being alone in the dark with Parker. "Why would she be afraid of him?"

"And...." He'd never heard her voice sound quite that husky before. Not that there was anything wrong with that...in fact, he liked it, a lot.

"He was beautiful." She was thinking of that morning after the snow storm, waking up to find him still there, asleep. "Not perfect, but -- warm, and human, and--" eyelashes and muscles and lips, and the sight of him, sprawled out "--touchable..." Parker swallowed, then gave up, and just pulled the covers over her head. Even if no one was there to see her. "And she just looked at him until she couldn't resist any more; she had to kiss him."

Jarod was hanging on Parker's every word. There was something in her tone that he didn't fully understand. "So she kissed him?"

"She would have." Parker let out a slow breath as she got her pulse rate under control. "But as she bent down to touch her lips to his, three drops of oil splashed from the lamp, burning his chest and awakening him. 'What have you done? Now we are doomed, and I must leave you!'"

"See, if she'd thought to put the lamp on the table beforehand, the story'd be over." Or it would be a very different kind of story, which he didn't think Parker would be telling him.

Parker snickered, and yawned again. "Mmm. Probably not, because, because-- he was under an enchantment. 'If you had only waited a year,' he said, 'I would be free. Now I must marry the troll princess, who lives in a castle east of the sun and west of the moon.' And he would be gone in the morning." Parker shivered, and pulled the bedding closer at the idea.

"East of the Sun and West of the Moon?" He very politically decided not to mention that Parker was usually the one who was gone in the morning.

"Somewhere impossible to find. And when she woke up, not just her husband was gone, but the castle and everything in it." Parker closed her eyes, getting more sleepy. "The next part I could tell you exactly as it happened, but it's repetitive. After crying her heart out, she went off to find him. Of course. And she me three old women who told her that she'd find her husband either too late or never, in the castle east of the sun and west of the moon, but they each gave her a golden gift to help her on her way, since she should have been the prince's true bride." She yawned, then murmured, "True love."

"The most powerful emotion there is." Jarod yawned and stretched in his seat. "And she quested to be worthy of him. That's very sweet, if misguided."

The Fourth Sin, Tuesday--OPEN

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