Wednesday, April 20, 2005

   Long Chapter, sorry guys
The servants bustled around all day preparing for the social event of the year. No expense was spared in her fathers attempts to impress others with his wealth. By sunset she hated her dress. The fashion to have loose dresses would not be tolerated by her father. Her dress felt as is it was wrapped around her, binding, like the wedding ring that would surely hold her finger soon enough. If she married she could show her husband what a problem she was and he wouldn’t want her. Then no man would want her and she could be free. Her father would surely then disown her. That was her plan…that was all she had left to hope for.

Edward once again stood in front of the grand building. Al and his father stood by his side. While Hohenheim looked placid as usual, Al looked on in awe. The house had been well decorated for this party. Servants greeted guests, took their fur coats, parked their cars for them.
‘Remember,’ Hohenheim said under his breath, ‘this man is wonderful. Praise him all you can. And if you want to help Winry compliment him on his daughters.’
There was more wealth in one area then Ed had ever seen. Champagne and caviar flowed like water as did tales of fame and fortune. He saw women that looked like Winry; he assumed they were her sisters. They were looking at their husbands with doe eyes. He rolled his.
‘Ah, Hohenheim, glad to see you made it. And your son of course.’
Al was not important.
‘Yes Dedrick, I promised I would. And here is my son Edward.’
Dedrick studied the young man closely while taking his hand. Ed had to keep from snatching it away and hitting him.
‘Ah yes, Edward, I have heard a lot about you. People say you are smart, that you spend your time learning. That will one day earn you money boy as well as respect.’
‘Thank-you sir,’ Ed said through gritted teeth.
‘I am sorry my daughter was a bother to you the other day.’
‘She was no bother sir, I’m just glad we could get her back to you,’ Hohenheim interrupted, ‘I am sure you are a good father, your other daughters show that.’
He made a noise something between a snort and an agreement. ‘They are good respectable women, and my Winry has assured me she will settle now. We have had a good talk.’
Both Ed and Al tensed with anger but remained calm on the exterior.

‘Come down now child. Be polite but keep quiet. And if that Elric boy asks you to dance you will damn well do so!’
She nodded, like a good dog. Like what he wanted. But she would make sure ‘that Elric boy’ knew of her hatred.
Walking down the stairs many people looked at her. She was to appear as well mannered and ladylike as her sisters on the other side of the room. Some nodded greetings her way; others shook or even kissed her hand. Older men leered at her making her feel dirty but she kept face.
Then they came into her eye line, being lead by her father. She caught eyes with Edward and hated him all the more.
‘I think you should first thank these men for returning you to me.’

Ed could see the hatred in her eyes as she thanked them in a demure voice. He wanted to yell out that he had no part in what happened to her. Although he was livid about the situation, he knew why his father did it. Dedrick was providing much needed money for research and as far as Dedrick knew, it would greatly benefit him in the long run.
The band started up. Ed offered his hand to Winry as he had been instructed to earlier. She took it, her eyes scowling at him. This would be his chance to explain what had happened. Al was whisked away by an elderly lady who had taken a liking to the ‘young man’. Hohenheim stood and talked to Dedrick.
She felt cold against him. He knew he shouldn’t look upon her as his Winry back at home, but something in her determination reminded him of her.
‘This is not what I wanted,’ he said quietly as possible.
‘You offered me to dance I didn’t ask!’ she snapped, also in a hushed voice.
‘That’s not what I meant. We had nothing to do with your father. We were taking you away from him.’
‘Why should I believe you?’
‘I have no reason for you to. But I will get you out of here whether you believe me or not. I’ll tell you why we let him take you away…’

Hohenheim feared this was coming. As he watched his son dance his stomach fell.
‘Edward is the right age. He should be thinking of taking a wife by now if he is to take his place in society. Winry will do as she is told and she will produce strong children. It will draw us together will it not?’
Dedrick stared with intense eyes at Hohenheim. When no response came from the man he carried on.
‘Fear not about her actions the other day. It was a blessing in fact, she hasn’t stopped talking about your boy since that day,’ he lied.
Hohenheim bowed his head, ‘It will bring us closer together. I will discuss this with Edward.’
Dedrick took his hand and shook it, ‘Then let us hope this is the joining of a powerful union, as well as the marriage of our children.’

The dance ended and Winry remained still. She had taken in what Edward had told her and it did make sense. She still wanted to hate him but something would not let her forget her dreams. Over Eds shoulder she could see her father grinning in her direction.
A stupid thought crossed her mind but she went with it anyway. Grabbing his hand she ran through the crowd and past her father. Ed followed even though he was completely bemused. She ran him up the stairs, making sure her father was still watching as well as the crowd. His stare pierced her back but she was feeling reckless. She threw Ed in her room and slammed the door.
‘What are you doing?’ Ed asked as Winry pressed her ear against the door. She turned to him with a mischievous look in her eye.
‘That wasn’t very respectable of me was it?’
She watched his face twist and turn as he figured it out. The result of his calculations caused him to blush. He really wasn’t like the other men his age.
Footsteps began to storm up the stairs. She bolted the door as her heart raced with the adrenalin. Father would be furious that she showed him up in front of all those people. If there was one thing he was not expecting it would be this.
‘Winry he’ll kill you,’ she heard Ed say behind her, but she was having far too much fun to care of the consequences. She ran to the window, people would be leaving soon. She wanted to add a little more spice to the proceedings so she ran over to Ed.
‘Do this for me,’ she panted, ‘and I will forgive you.’
She could see he had no idea what she was thinking but he cried out when she began to undo his shirt. She stopped at the top button. She then proceeded to muss up his hair. People were beginning to leave and timing was all perfect.
‘This will not look good for me or my father.’
That stopped her in her tracks. She hadn’t thought about the consequences that they would suffer. Well why should she care?
Problem was she did care. Like another being taking over her soul she halted her plans. The public would leave without another scene.
She had forgotten about the footsteps coming up the stairs. The door knocked but it was not her fathers’ voice that called.
‘Edward, we are going. I know what you’re up to Winry and it will not work.’
She squealed quietly. What was it with this family? How did they know her as if she had been a friend for years? She dropped her arms to her side and once again gave in.
‘You best go,’ she sighed.
‘Winry I can’t…he will hurt you again.’
‘I can cope!’ she snapped, ‘there is nothing he can do that’ll surprise me.’
He tidied himself but still looked unsure. She offered him no more words but merely opened the door. Hohenheim and Al gave her a sympathetic look before taking their haunting eyes with them out the door.
She watched them leave through her window. She felt humiliated at what she had almost done. The pain of her fathers’ blows would be nothing in comparison.

Ed looked back at her window. She withdrew looking crushed. He winced at the thought of that beast of a human being hitting her. The last hour had been such a blur. Had she forgiven him? For once again they had left her to a world of pain.
‘Edward,’ Hohenheim sighed, ‘we have a problem.’
‘I know we do!’ he snapped, ‘it’s in that bast…’
‘No,’ Al interrupted, ‘you must listen…’

She had been proven wrong, he could still surprise her. She stood shaking in front of her father and sisters. He hadn’t yelled, he hadn’t hit but he had delivered the news she feared above all.
‘Speechless I see Winry. Well you confirmed it for me. To do something you knew would anger me just to spend time with this boy showed me how much you want him.’
Her voice stopped in her throat. She couldn’t think of any words to say. She could not even shake her head. Her sisters all beamed at the chance to play dress up again…to dress her up as the doll they all wanted her to be.
The tear was determined to fall. It felt so hot against her cold, pale cheek.
‘Overcome with happiness I see my girl. You should be. This will straighten you out once and for all.’
As he got up to leave the room one last thing crossed her mind, ‘What if Edward does not agree to the marriage?’
His face twisted into an evil grin. ‘He will do my dear, if he knows what’s good for him and his father.’

‘I will not be a part of this! I will not put her through such an ordeal! I don’t even plan to stay in this world, what will happen to her then?’
‘Ed please calm down,’ Al pleaded. But Ed would not be calmed down.
‘How could you agree to this? Is it all about money, is that all that’s important to you?!’
‘I didn’t have much choice Edward. More then anything this will protect her. I’ve already told you, that man is insane. He will not let her show him up in the public eye for much longer. An accident would befall her sooner or later.’
Ed held his head in his hands. On top of everything that already plagued him it was getting too much. Why couldn’t he just take her away from him? But he already knew the answer to that. A man in power has powerful contacts. Suddenly Eds research and funding to get home depended on him getting married. It was all so ridiculous. He needed to talk to her fast; something would have to be arranged. What on earth would Miss Rockbell have thought of all this?

She lay in her bed and tried to keep the tears away. She had left the curtains slightly open to let in what remained of the moonlight. Her life had been decided for her right from the beginning. Why she couldn’t ever just accept it like her sisters did she didn’t know. Something always wanted freedom.
She sat bolt upright when she heard a noise outside her window. Cautiously she walked over to her window and pulled back the drapes. Even in the night his eyes glowed of their gold colour.
‘Edward?’
He beamed nervously at her, ‘Can your fiancé come in? There is a rather rabid looking dog giving him the eye.’

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