The next morning, Roxton walked to Marguerite's room with a bunch of wild flowers that he had picked up just for her. He went in to the room, greeting Marguerite.
Roxton: Good Morning Marguerite! Marguerite? Oh Marguerite!
Seeing that Marguerite was not in bed, he went to the washroom to find it, too, empty. He came back to the bedroom and touched the soft sheets. The bed was cool as if no one had slept on it. Even if Marguerite did, she had to have woken up early. Knowing Marguerite, it was unusual for her to wake up early and even more unusual for her to make her bed. Getting worried, Roxton rushed towards the door when Marguerite crashed in.
I was half dead with excitement as I came to my room, trilled by the coming events Lycious and I will engage in today when I bumped into Roxton, leaving MY ROOM!
Me: Roxton! What are you doing here?!
Roxton: I came to wake you up.
Me: Why?
Roxton stood there stunned by Marguerite's reply that he looked for words in him. He so longed to say it was because he loved her but how can he when she did not even care. She casually went into the bathroom and washed her face so as to indicate that even his answer will bear very little interest to him.
Roxton: Why? Well because I had always been waking you up, everyday for the past two years.
I came out form the washroom and started to comb my hair. Lycious said he'd like to see me with my hair up.
Me: That was then this is now. I do not need a wake up call and definitely not from you.
Roxton: You were not here, in this bedroom, last night, were you?
Me: No.
Roxton: Where were you?!
Me: Where I was last night is my business.
Roxton: Marguerite we are in a foreign land and you go off wondering alone
in the middle of the night...
Me: I was not alone.
Roxton: What!
Me: I said I WAS NOT ALONE.
Roxton: Who were you with?!
Me: it's none of your business!
Roxton: I made it my business when two years ago I promised to protect you
all.
Me: Protect?! Protect? Then why is Summerlee dead?
At that moment, Roxton felt as if a rock had hit him hard in his stomach. A part of him, the part, which always believed he could have saved Summerlee, cried desperately wanting to escape from the guilt. How could Marguerite? How could she?
Me: If it makes you happy, I was with Lycious the whole time.
Turning around, I started to fix my hair as, though the mirror, I could see Roxton staring blankly at me. Finally he turned to leave reaching own to keep the flowers he had picked. How immature!
Me: take the flowers with you. I don't want them.
Roxton walked out, desperately hurt and obsessed with Marguerite. Down the hall, he meets Veronica.
Veronica: Is Margueri...Roxton are you all right?
Roxton: Fine, just disgusted!
Veronica: what did Marguerite do now?
Roxton: She spent the whole night with Lycious.
Veronica: the guy she almost killed?!
Roxton: yes the guy she almost killed! I don't know what's wrong with her!
I'm just too disgusted to say anything!
Veronica: Well then God bless me.
Roxton: Why do you need her?
Veronica: Challenger wants to know where the botanical gardens are.
Roxton: O...I'll deal with Marguerite later. Here you can have the flowers!
Veronica: Thanks.
I was busy choosing an outfit when I felt someone standing at the door. It MUST be Lycious!
Me: I'm not done yet love...Oh it's you.
Veronica: Sorry to disappoint you Marguerite.
Me: Whatever! What do you want?!
Veronica: Challenger wants to know where the botanical gardens are.
Me: Third concentric circle near the zoo. Now should I wear this white
dress or this white dress?
Veronica: Marguerite, both look alike!
Me: Just choose one!
Veronica: This one. Where are you going anyway?
Me: I am going with Lycious! I can't get enough of him.
I went into change and told the whole story of how he 'kidnapped' me.
Veronica: A guy comes, knocks you unconscious, rolls you up in a carpet and abduct you and you don't find anything wrong with it?
Me: Of cause not! I find it rather...romantic in a passionate way.
Veronica: Marguerite!
Me: For God's sake Veronica, it's like a page off a fairy tale! He went
through all that to meet me. No one has ever done so much for me.
Veronica: So you are going to throw what you had with Roxton?
Me: What did I have with Roxton? I have never felt the way I feel when
I'm with him. It's warm and calm and so full of love. But with Roxton,
it's always been fear. Fear of rejection, fear of abandonment, fear of
being used again. He never even tried to show me that...er no point talking
about it!
I put on the pearl necklace and walked towards the door.
Veronica: where are you off to now.
Me: Lycious and I are off to a walk and then we have plans to make before
Atlas comes this afternoon. I have a lot of things do. I can't let Lycious
down. By tomorrow, we will be together, the rulers...
With that, I left veronica and went to the chariot.
By late morning, Veronica, Melone, Challenger and Roxton set off to the botanical gardens as Marguerite and Lycious went in their small little expedition. Roxton tagged along, with a face of worry and undying possessiveness of Marguerite that he did not even try to hide it, whereas Veronica and Melone went ahead.
Melone: What's with him?
Veronica: Marguerite.
Melone: That anyone could guess but what's really gone wrong?
Veronica: marguerite is head over heels in love with Lycious.
Melone: The guy who almost killed her?!
Veronica: Yes!
Melone: Must be the money.
Veronica: I don't know Melone. It's more than that this time. For one thing,
I know Roxton never told her how he felt and even if he did, Marguerite's
mysterious past somehow would never allow them to be together. From what I
can say that is.
Melone: You are right. I mean, Lycious would never know of her past, she
would be free from her past and will have a free flow of luxury. I guess
that girl is done waiting.
Veronica: I guess so. I mean if I was in that position, I would do the same thing.
Melone: I better act fast then!
Veronica: You better!
The two joked for a while, walking hand and hand.
Melone: It's ironic isn't it. All this time she waited for a man and at
last, she fell for someone in a dress!
Veronica: Oh Melone!
Melone: Those two are together now?
Veronica: Ya, going exploring and making plans before Atlas comes. Said
something about not letting down Lycious because they will be together
tomorrow.
Melone: Ouch! Poor Roxton!
Veronica: You're telling me!
Melone: So there'll be a party tonight?
Veronica: yes, for the arrival of Atlas.
The group made it to the gardens and many green houses as Challenger, with unbelievable ecstasy, went about examining, briefing and marveling at each plant to much of the Atlanteans amusement. Veronica and Melone tried to join in the excitement but Roxton just stared at nothing at all!
Challenger: look at this! Look at its leaf structure! Half of these plants could wipe out any illness! Oh if only Author was here.
At a distant, they could hear a man talking in English, coming to the green house.
Challenger: My God, I can even hear Author's voice in my heart!
Man: On the contrary Professor Gorge Challenger, I'm right behind you.
The group turned to find, there standing fit as ever, Professor Author Summerlee! At first they were completely bewildered and stood stunned.
Summerlee: What, not happy to see me?
Everyone at once jumped at Summerlee showering the man with hugs, handshakes and kisses...well Veronica with the kisses. All, especially Roxton, was overjoyed and most of all stunned at this coincident. After a while, they all calmed down and explained to Summerlee of their arrival. Then it dawned upon them.
It seemed that Summerlee had also fallen into a synchronic resulting in the unsuccessful efforts to find him. However, Summerlee was unaware of it and during those weather changes, a synchronic was slightly opened enabling Summerlee to make contact with the other's especially Melone through his dreams. This in turn explained why the explorers had the same dream and flashbackS of their journeys with Summerlee. In fact, Summerlee had had the same dream of him trying to show the way. However, when Melone took the plunge just as Summerlee did, there was no synchronic resulting Melone being rudely spat back up.
Melone: But Marguerite needed a chant to come through.
Challenger: That's because she intended to come here and not anywhere else.
Like She knew she wanted to come to London so she directed the synchronic
to London. If she did not, she might end up in Paris!
Summerlee: So where is our other little princess?
Summerlee looked at Roxton.
