Thread: All Out of Time  (Ethereal & Jake G.)

24 May, 1546 How long will you be gone? Amelia asked, a slight hint of hesitation in her voice as she peered over at her husband, who was skillfully avoiding eye contact with her as he gathered a variety of papers from his desk that she was perched upon, stuffing them into his satchel. I don't know, Amelia. Henry responded after a moment, his tone conveying his irritation. A day to travel there, three to four days in the city, a day to travel back. A week at most, likely less. Amelia pondered his words, though she didn't say anything in response. Is that alright with you? Henry retorted when she said nothing to him, his words laced with thick sarcasm as his eyes locked onto her face. He was expectantly waiting for an answer, and though Amelia had nothing to say, she knew that if she didn't muster something, his anger would only increase. I never said it wasn't. she replied quietly, her eyes staring down at her hands as they nervously picked at her dress. Before marrying Henry, she had been a bright, outspoken girl. She'd been happy, cheerful, talkative. Since living with him, he had backed her further and further into a corner in which she remained silent, scared, and altogether unhappy. The truth was, she'd tried to love him. And there were times that he was pleasant enough. They were simply two different people, and Henry wasn't in it for love. He had his mistress for that, and he would surely see her while he was away in London. He'd married Amelia after his first wife died, and while he had seemed like a charming man, he proved to be everything but. Amelia had tried to get to know him, tried to love him in a way that she assumed a wife would love her husband, but he wouldn't let her. Perhaps, she would never live up to his first wife, but from what she had been told, he hadn't treated her any better. She had only been 17 when she married Henry, nearly three years prior. His decision was a rash one at that, marrying a common girl he'd met through his travels, rather than one of the many noblewomen that would have happily lined up to take his side. When he met her, he was different than he was now. He had seduced her, made her feel special. He made her believe that he loved her, and sometimes, she believed he did. He could be caring, and he could be kind, but mostly, he was just a selfish man. Amelia, though she was of a far lower status than he, had been exactly what he wanted after his first wife died. He wanted a young, beautiful woman that could bear him more children, only having one surviving son from his first wife. He swept Amelia off her feet, taking her away from the small town that had been the only place she'd known, away from her friends and family. It didn't take her long to see that he was not the man he had portrayed himself as though, quickly learning his brutish ways after having moved into his home in Surrey. And now there they were, three years later. Amelia was broken, and Henry was angered that in all that time, she had not yet given him a child. That simple fact strained their relationship even further, though it didn't stop Amelia from trying. Glad to hear it, Lady Amelia approves. he spoke with a fake tone of happiness, his words pulling her away from her thoughts. There was a bitter smile on his lips as he stood from his desk, grabbing his satchel before leaning in and pressing a kiss to her forehead. See you next week. Don't have too much fun without me, darling. he spoke as he began to walk towards the door. I'd like to say the same to you.. Amelia responded quietly, though she hadn't necessarily intended for him to hear the words. Henry froze in the doorway, drawing in a deep breath as though to cool his rage before turning back to face Amelia. He would know what she was referring to, fully aware of the fact that his young wife knew of his mistress in London. It was something the girl couldn't seem to accept, though it was a common practice, especially among the noblemen. In an eerily calm manner, Henry turned back around and walked over to his wife, who was still perched upon his desk. Without warning, his hand came flying towards her, striking her on the side of her face as he kept his cool demeanor. Amelia cried out, her hand flying to the spot where he had slapped her, her skin stinging as a bit of blood appeared on her lip. It wasn't the first time he had hit her, and certainly, it wouldn't be the last. Without saying another word, Henry turned back around, exiting the room and making his way out to the horse that was being prepared for him. For the longest time, Amelia simply sat there, tears in her eyes as she stared blankly off into the room. Finally, she stood, wandering off to the washroom within her bedchambers to clean herself up. She wiped the tears from her face, and the blood from her lip, though a bruise was beginning to form where his hand had come into contact with her cheek. In that moment, all she wanted to do was disappear, to escape the life she lived in. As she had so many other times, she found herself wandering outside of the large home, the girl not bothering to tell anywhere where she was going as she walked further past the estate and in through the trees that laid behind it. Henry had told her time and time again not to wander into the woods, speaking to her like she was a child rather than his wife. But he wasn't there right now, and she needed to get away. The woods reminded her of home, the small town she'd grown up in having been surrounded by large forests. When she walked through the trees, along the stream that traveled through them, she was able to catch a glimpse of the person she used to be. For a moment, she almost felt happy, though her tranquil thoughts quickly dissipated as she heard screaming, followed by something that sounded like...a gun? That was the only thing she could think of, recalling the way Henry's musket had sounded when she'd watched him shoot targets. The sound was loud, echoing through the trees, and despite the voice in Amelia's head telling her to turn and run home, she found herself walking towards where the sound had come from, her eyes widening as she stepped through the trees. The first thing she was was a man...or the remnants of one, bloodied and scattered within a tree. It didn't make sense, the ways his limbs were arranged, as though he was a part of the tree himself. For a moment, she felt as though she was going to be sick, though as she tore her eyes away from the nauseating sight, her eyes glanced over something else. No, someone else. Again ignoring the voice in her head that was now shouting at her to run, she continued to hesitantly step forward, moving faster towards the man on the ground as she realized that he wasn't mangled and bloody as the other had been. Running to his side, she dropped down beside him, her eyes wide as she tried to figure out what to do. At that point, she hadn't noticed his foreign clothing, or the strangeness of the metal device that laid next to him. She was primarily concerned about his well being, the girl leaning down and pressing her ear to his chest, as though she was trying to determine whether his heart was still beating.