fandomania | The Adventure continues...

Our eggs:

Our hatchlings:

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The Story:

“Oh ghod! Oh ghod! Donal, you have to get me out of here! The boys will die without me! Please Donal? Please?”

But before he could say anything, quite a few monks came rushing in. Two of them seized Donal and dragged him struggling from the room while the rest held me down and put restraints back on me. I screamed and struggled and fought them but in the end they overwhelmed me and once more I was immobilized. I screamed and cried and begged, but they remained inflexible and left me alone in the room as I cried hysterically for my poor dying babies.

“Mama, do you want to go home now?”

“Loysa! Oh my beautiful sweet girl! Please listen carefully. I want to go to Vâlen and Gælen. Can you take me to them?”

“Yes Mama, I can.” Within seconds the world went golden and then we found ourselves in the nursery, right by the boys’ crib. They both were crying up a storm. I tore my hospital gown open and picked up Vâlen and gave him my breast. He began to suckle hungrily. I caressed Gælen with my free hand and promised that he would be fed soon. I then turned to Loysa to thank her and saw a very stunned, gape-faced Vitha, who must have seen me appear out of nowhere.

“Vitha? Vitha? Would you please take Loysa and put her down for her nap? I am afraid she is quite exhausted. Thank you!”

Vitha snapped out of her wonderment and took Loysa to her crib.

I could tell that Vâlen was still hungry when he drank up all the milk in that breast. I had to remind him that his brother needed to eat also and that he had to wait and share. I quickly burped him and reluctantly put him down. I then gave Gælen my other breast. He was just finishing his meal when I heard the sounds of horses galloping into the compound. I heard the sounds of running and doors being slammed open all coming towards the nursery. I hastily rearranged the gown and put Gælen up to my shoulder to burp him, when Donal came tearing into the room. “Oh, Patra! Thank ghod you are here! I was afraid that Loysa had taken you somewhere else.” He took our son and put him back into his crib and then hugged me fiercely.

He still held me in his embrace when Uncle Haral, Pahpey and a monk I recognized from the monastery came rushing into the room.

Donal grabbed a baby blanket and covered my torn gown with it and then stood protectively in front of me. In a very firm and defiant voice, he told the men, “I know that Patra needs help with her problems. That is why I agreed to let you take her there in the first place. But I refuse to let my wife be used and abused by a group of so-called doctors who have no compassion and who think that restraints are the answer for every problem.”

Pahpey came forward and stood by his grandson. “I am inclined to agree. Unless you can give me some guarantees that the monastery will treat Patra with gentleness and kindness, I cannot allow you to take her again, Haral.”

“I hear you and agree with you, brother.” Haral turned to the monk. “So, Doctor, what have you to say about the performance of your people? I think that there is room for improvement, don’t you? And an apology might be in order also.”

“Your Eminence,” said the doctor, “We get many violent and mentally deranged patients in our mental care ward. I think that Lady Patra was misdiagnosed when she was brought in. I apologize most sincerely, madam, if our care was less than it should have been.

“Your Eminence, may I suggest that Lady Patra would be better cared for in the Convent Retreat? This way, she will find a more peaceful and contemplative atmosphere that might better suit her needs. I can arrange for several of our therapists to come to her there and help her work through her inner demons and guide her to a more healthy mental outlook on life. Does that sound like a better arrangement to you, Your Eminence?”

Haral nodded. “I think that something suitable could be arranged. How does that sound to you, Patra dear?”

I was still hiding behind Donal, my face and body plastered to his back. “Will you guarantee that I never get restrained again? That I will not be forced to do anything against my will?”

“I will personally guarantee that for you.” Haral stated sincerely.

“And what of my babies? Will I be able to have them with me, so that they will not die of starvation?”

Uncle Haral looked quizzical. Donal spoke up and said, “Two days ago, when we took Patra to the monastery, our sons stopped eating. They refused to suckle from their regular wet nurse or any other lactating woman, for that matter. We tried feeding them with baby bottles, but they still refused. That is why Patra became so upset earlier today. Our sons hadn’t eaten in two days. They have now been fed because Patra was brought here to feed them. But she, and I also, feel that they need to be with their mother, or else we may lose them.”

“Ah. That makes sense. I am sure that when I consult with the Abbess she will know of several nuns who have experience with babies. I am sure that we can arrange a schedule for Patra around the twins’ feeding times. It is an unusual request for a convent, but it won’t be impossible. I am sure that I can prevail upon them to accept this arrangement.”

“Thank you, Uncle Haral.”

“Now, if you will find Patra some decent traveling clothes, and prepare the babies for the journey, we can be on our way. If you would also include a crib and diapers and whatever babies need, it would be appreciated. I doubt if the convent is prepared to house infants, but they will have to cope.”

Three hours later, I was back at Vyru. This time in the Retreat house in the convent section. I was able to pick out the room that I was to stay in, which was large enough to also hold the babies’ crib. I was introduced to the Abbess and to several of the nuns who were going to handle my care. They all seemed nice and sympathetic. It was still a wrench to watch Donal and the others leave me there.

The next morning, after a small breakfast, Haral, Pahpey, and Donal returned. Chief Justice Zinovas, who was adjudicating my case, had come by himself, earlier. I was extremely nervous when I walked in the meeting room where he and my family were waiting.

The justice started by verbally reviewing the facts of the case as Haral had informed him. He asked me if the facts stated were true. I replied that they were. He asked me if I had any proofs as to my innocence. I replied that I had none, other than my word. I told him that there were witnesses to my rape, but that they were biased and unreliable, and told him about the accusations in Riverford and the attempted abduction of my eldest son, Reuel. Justice Zinovas’ face was very hard to read. He was very good at hiding his emotions and this worried me no end.

“I understand that your late husband was a very brutal man and that you have scars on your body as proof of his brutality?”

“Yes, Your Honor.”

“I know that this is going to be difficult for you, but I have to view these scars as an unbiased witness to their existence. I am not doing this to be prurient. If you would like, we can do this privately, just the two of us, or you can have your husband present, if you wish.”

“I would like my husband present, if you don’t mind, Your Honor.”

Haral and Pahpey left the room and Donal helped me disrobe. Even though the room was warm, I couldn’t stop shaking as I stood naked in from of the judge. I showed him the whip and burn marks on my back that went from my neck down to my knees. I then showed him my front and all the scars, burn marks and mutilations that I bore, especially between my legs and on my upper thighs. He never touched me. He only observed. When he felt he had seen enough, he told me to dress and then brought in Pahpey and Haral.

“I have investigated this matter as completely as I can, given the chaotic circumstances in Freedonia. I have been given rather thorough reports from the Office of Royal Intelligence on Lady Patra, her late husband, General Jaizel, and her late father, Baron Hernan. These reports confirm much of what Lady Patra has told me and the scars on her body spoke volumes to me. I have also received a report of an accusation filed in a lower court by one Grithuf of Freedonia, who claimed to have witnessed the act of incest between Baron Hernan and his daughter, Lady Patra. The accusation varies wildly from what Lady Patra and what the intelligence reports have said. Given these facts, I am going to rule Lady Patra innocent of all charges. I am going to have the Royal Guards arrest this Grithuf of Freedonia on the charges of filing false accusations, aiding and abetting rape, and attempted kidnapping. Who knows what additional charges will be added after he gets through with his session with the Royal Inquisitor.

“But before I make my ruling final, I am very concerned about the mental health of Lady Patra. Given the years of abuse and torture that she went through, the rape that has unhinged her enough to attempt suicide not just once, not just twice, but four times, according to all reports, I feel that I need to make her a ward of this court for her own protection and I hereby order her to undergo mental evaluation and therapy for a minimum of six months to a maximum of one year in hopes that this will save her from herself and her self-destructive behavior. Since her family has chosen this place for her recovery, I so order her confined here.” The judge rapped his gavel on the table, where he was sitting. “This is my final verdict.”

“One year!” shouted Donal. “This is unconscionable! Patra is a victim of monsters and then is punished for being a victim? That is completely unfair!”

“Young man, sit down and shut up. I will overlook this outburst because I know that you are young and in love. But any further disrespect of me and my rulings and I will sentence you to prison for contempt of court. Your wife needs genuine help, not just a slapdash try that does little to nothing and leaves her vulnerable to further acts of self-destruction. But to show you that I am not entirely heartless, I will amend my order to allow family and even conjugal visits after the first two months, if her doctors think she can handle it. This is my absolutely final verdict.” He banged his gavel again, gathered his documents and left the room, leaving everyone stunned in his wake. A few seconds later, several nuns came and made me leave with them. It wasn’t until after the door shut that I realized that I had not been able to say goodbye to Donal and that I wouldn’t see him again for at least two months. That knowledge hit me like a punch in the stomach and I began to weep.