Danny gazed out of his office window, his eyes misting over, contemplative. He watched as Delilah and the convoy of guards that he had assigned to her, disappeared around the bend in the distance, and into the woods. She would be safe in their hands, and he was sending her 'home' after all.
Seeing her again after all these years had stirred memories inside of him that he would have preferred to forget. The pain and heartache of that decision, 14 years ago, had haunted him ever since.
DEE-LI-LAH ...he let the sound of her name roll off his tongue, pronounced. It was a beautiful name for sure, and one that his 'Tolchi' had been set on from the start. And she was so delightful too. What a beautiful young woman she was growing up to be. Oh, and how she had giggled and laughed at dinner with him. Like mother, like daughter. The regret seared through him again. He swallowed hard.
It had been an impossible position to be in. 'Tolchi' had been the love of his life. After her, nobody had ever come close. Perhaps that was why he was still alone after all these years? The odd drunken nights of debauchery could never replace her affections; his heart just would not allow it.
But in the long months that he had been away, campaigning for the Solar Baron in his youth, his 'Tolchi' had grown lonely and Fredrick's once philandering eye had pounced. Busk had inserted a knife that had torn them apart, inch by gut-wrenching inch over a period of several months, creeping into Tolcetta's heart and selfishly stealing a piece for himself.
The sound of shattered glass hit him before the pain. He looked down at the fresh blood dripping from his knuckles. Raising his eyes, the jagged edges of the broken window in front of him was a stark reminder of the hurt and anger that he still needed to address.
He unclenched his fists, fighting hard against the rising angst. It would not be helpful to anyone to succumb to the grief now.
His mind wandered again. When he had finally returned to claim 'Tolchi' as his Bride, her feelings had already changed to that of ambivalence. She had been honest with him from the start about the affair, he'd give her that. She had tried to convince him that she still loved him; showed him in all ways conceivable between lovers, but he could feel the tension, the unspoken heartache, and he knew deep down that he had lost her, that a beautiful and pure heart that had once belonged to him, now resided with another man... and he was left to pick up the shattered pieces of his own.
Tolcetta would not leave him willingly and so he had been forced to end it. He had loved her too damn much to demand the same in return from her. His aspirations to become head of the Barony one day were also too big to set aside for a complicated and messy marriage that would likely fall apart under the additional stress of further long absences.
And then there was Delilah... Tolcetta had fallen pregnant after his return from his travels. The timing?... They had sat and worked it out together... the facts were indisputable...the baby was definitely his and Delilah was the only blessing to rise from the ashes of their doomed relationship. With marriage out of the question and a desperate desire for his daughter to have a happy life, his only option had been to deceive Fredrick. Make him believe Delilah was his. Tolcetta had played along. What he hadn't counted on was Busk's wife's fury and the apparent power that she had had to destroy Tolcetta's life. He had also not counted on Busk's own insincerity when it came to love.
And so, he had arranged for Tolcetta to be sent away for her own protection. He just did not have the requisite power or authority at the time to ensure it himself, if she had stayed. Busk, however, had refused to allow her to take Delilah from him and had insisted on raising her himself, and his wife had simply had to fall in line. If there was one person she listened to, it was her husband.
Danny brushed a rogue tear away with the end of his sleeve. He could still remember the last time he had laid eyes on his daughter. She had been what...7? 8 years of age? He had been on a mission for the Solar Baron to the Fruit Barony and had been astounded to come across the young girl crying and pleading with her cat to come down from the tree. She was so strong in character yet delicate in that moment. He would have recognised her anywhere. She was the spitting image of Tolcetta. Stunningly beautiful ...even more so now he thought. He had not been able to exercise restraint. Healing her heart that day had trumped everything. She had spoken of her cat throughout dinner and it had made him smile to think back on his intervention.
The knock at the door interrupted his reverie.
come in..
he beckoned.
With that, Barry strode in.
Danny, we've just received word. Your brother and his wife have arrived in Port and are on their way to the Barony.
Well, that is good news
declared Danny.
Um, one other thing...Tolcetta is with them!
Wesley!!! What on earth are you doing here? And who the hell is that attached to the end of your arm?
Mr Preda was less than amused to see his erstwhile double agent bursting in unannounced. The relationship was supposed to be covert. Mrs Preda on the other hand was beaming.
Mr Preda, Mrs Preda...
Wesley nodded quickly in deference to them both and then, dumping both Henry and the backpack of broken tablet pieces at their feet, quickly chose to dispense with any further formalities. Pointing to his gifts he exclaimed with pride:
This is what you need to win the war!
This is my entry to @dibblers.dabs 'A Tale of Two Pizzas', the first attempt to create a collaborative novella on the Hive blockchain.
You can catch up on the story so far here
And the latest contest post here
If this all looks a little daunting, fear not, for I believe a summary post of the story may be forthcoming soon.