Lady Knight
Hi everyone! I hope I didn't leave you waiting too long for this...
Alright, so this here is the sequel to my story What happens when it fades? This story picks up right where chapter 45 left off, so you may want to reread that chapter before starting this one. Obviously, it is no good trying to read this story without having read the first, as it will make no sense without it. :P
I hope you all enjoy!
Chapter 1: Facing Demons
The sun shone warmly down on the woman hidden between the warm rock she leaned against and the waving grasses. Inside she fought with her past, struggling to make some sort of sense of it, or at least a temporary peace that seemed to her so elusive. Outwardly she was composed and self-assured, as much a knight as her brother had ever been.
Looking down upon the solitary scene the lord Theron cleared his throat. "I don't mean to intrude," he began softly, "but nightfall is in a few hours. My cabin is a bit of a hike from here, but I am quiet willing to show some hospitality." He smiled wryly, "Especially in regards to our first meeting."
"You mean where you attempted to slit my throat?" Celena replied crisply, though her expression belied her own amusement.
"I probably cannot convince you that I did not in fact intend to slit your throat, can I?" came the dry reply of Lord Theron.
Celena smiled despite herself. Lord Theron was not a bad sort at all. She looked at him sideways as they walked, Hermes following a few steps behind her, despite not being led. Theron was quite handsome; blue eyes that seemed to pierce into her, as if attempting to know her soul, and unruly dirty blonde hair that he wore tied back into a short ponytail. She had to admit she was rather pleased it was nowhere near the length of her brother's. In looking at Theron, her first instinct was that he was likely somewhat similar to King Dryden – scruffy around the edges, but a good person. Her smiled deepened slightly. It would be a lie to say she didn't like what she saw.
"So," his deep voice began uneasily, "I believe you were going to tell me about this Great War?"
Celena's smile fell from her lips. She took a deep breath. Really it was now or never, wasn't it? "Do you want the full story, as I know it, which is really also the story of my life, or do you want the cut and dry abridged version?"
"Well when you put it like that there isn't really much of a choice, is there?" He said teasingly.
"Cut and dry it is then." She announced, only to be greeted by his cries of outrage. "Alright, alright, my life story." It was oddly fun to tease this man. Deep inside herself, Celena was reminded of the few years she had teased and flirted and crossed the line with so many men. It seemed so very long ago now…
"Did you ever happen to hear of a man named Dilandau?" She asked softly.
"I'm assuming he had something to do with this Great War?" Theron raised a questioning eyebrow. "In which case, no."
Celena nodded. "That's probably for the best." She took a deep breath. "When I was a little girl, a tiny child really, my father left our family to go questing for Atlantis. This left my mother alone with me, and my older brother, Allen Shezar. It's forgiveable, I think, that from under their noses, I was kidnapped by the sorcerers, the madoushi, of Zaibach. A short time later mother passed away, and my brother left home. He ended up becoming one of the finest swordsmen on Gaea, and a Knight Caeli to boot." She looked over at Theron. "I became something quite different."
Theron's gaze wavered between disbelief, horror, and sympathy as she continued her tale, carefully watching him all the while. She'd barely finished telling him about her, or rather Dilandau's, training in Zaibach when they reached the cabin he called home. It was a pretty thing, built of wood and the sweat of men. An honest dwelling that inside still looked worthy of belonging to a lord. Though perhaps more as a hunting lodge than a permanent home.
Theron insisted upon cooking supper as she continued her tale, relating the fall of Fanelia and the appearance of the strange girl from the Mystic Moon. She told him of King Van, and fierce little Merle, and the love triangles that seemed to find themselves wrapped around her brother, though she was careful to omit the actual heritage of Prince Chid. Theron passed her a bowl of thick stew, and Celena told him of the final battle; the sacrifice of Lord Folken, and the return of herself between bites of the savoury meal. She set the empty bowl down. "And that was the Great War." She said simply.
"So what happened then?" Theron asked, his sardonic smile beaming at her. He passed her a glass of water. "It doesn't just end there, does it?"
Celena smiled. "No, it doesn't." She sipped the water slowly. It felt amazing actually, to get all this off her chest. To tell someone how she had felt during all this, to make sense of the past by retelling it. She looked up at Theron, a few strands of her silvery blonde hair fall ing across her face, worked loose from her own ponytail. Well, now that he knew all that, there weren't all that many more secrets to tell. So she launched into her life as she had known it, Dilandau the constant companion in her head as she had flirted with countless men in an attempt to feel somewhat free of her brother's overprotective gaze.
She recounted the strange courtship of Lord Van and Hitomi, and how Dilandau had somehow wound up in his own body in Hitomi's world. How he had chosen freedom over a return to Gaea. She told him of her knight's training, the fact that Dilandau's skill ran through her veins as sure as it ran through his, and of her time in Fanelia. She found herself telling Theron about Dilandau, and the way he had finally fallen for Hitomi, and that Hitomi had finally fallen for them. She smiled mistily, "Their son turned one yesterday."
"So why does this story of your life end with Dilandau and not yourself?" Theron asked after a long moment.
Celena stared at Theron. "I…" She turned away from him. "Perhaps because he has something that I want but cannot find. So by saying it, it's like saying what my hopes are."
"Cryptic words to say you're lonely."
Celena smiled despite herself. She began to turn around, only to feel fingers rest upon her shoulders, somehow Theron had managed to cross the room without her noticing. "Relax," he whispered softly into her ear, "You seem very stiff. I noticed it while we were walking here." He began to massage her shoulders, firmly, but not painfully, working out knots she'd long ceased to be aware of. "My father suffered from arthritis in his old age, our last female servant taught me how to give a decent massage for when she could no longer do it." He paused. "I'm a bit out of practice…"
"It's lovely," Celena murmured. Indeed, the pressure of his fingertips seemed to be draining the tension right out of her. She leaned back slightly, appreciative. "Really, it's wonderful." She breathed, her eyes closed as the back of her head came to rest against Theron. His hands slowed and Celena found herself sighing when his fingers slipped away from her back. She began to lean forward again, only to find herself spun around on the rough wooden bench her sat on.
She found herself looking into Theron's amused blue eyes. "Gotcha." He whispered hoarsely, his dagger once again at her throat.
For a moment panic rose up in her. Panic and fury. Her eyes narrowed and her gaze hardened, only to find the blade against her throat dropped and Theron's laughter filling up the room. "Do you really think I'd hurt you?" He said, his voice filled with amusement. "You're the first human company I've had in nearly a year."
He moved to the other side of the room with lazy footsteps and Celena found herself staring at him in outrage. "What the hell was that about?" She heard herself hiss angrily. She got to her feet and marched over to stare up at him. "Do you really think that's funny?"
Theron stared back at her, his blue eyes piercing hers again. "Yes." He said, humour still evident in his voice. "You're just angry you let yourself get comfortable."
Celena sputtered. "Of course I'm angry!" She stepped forward, backing Theron against a wall. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't be angry!"
Theron smirked at her, a smirk that for some reason tugged at something inside Celena's memory. He leaned into her, and whispered in her ear, "Because you found it funny too."
Celena felt her eyes widen and raised her hand reflexively, ready to slap this infuriating and strange man. Only to have her wrist caught in mid-air.
They stood like that for a moment, their bodies so close they nearly touched, illuminated only by the flickering flames of the dying fire behind them. Celena stared up at Theron, who stared down at her, his eyes still laughing at her, his mouth turned into a twisted smirk. She wriggled her wrist in an attempt to get free, but his strong fingers held her wrist captive. Looking back, she never really was quite certain who initiated the kiss that followed. She had the faint sense that it had been her.
Morning arrived slowly. Light trickled in the windows of the cabin's second room. The bedroom. Celena stretched luxiously, cat-like between the covers of the warm bed. She squirmed onto her belly and stared at the man who slept on, oblivious to the rising sun. With roughened fingertips, she reached out and traced the features of his face lightly. It had been too fast, she thought ruefully. All of it was far too fast. She'd known him for less than a day.
A smile pulled at her lips. But it had been worth it. Since becoming a knight, she'd been so terribly good at not flirting, at not kissing. She'd never let anyone take advantage of her, so focused was she on her goals. She'd been lonely though, and she'd craved attention. She'd longed for a man's touch, a caress. She lifted her eyes to take in Theron's sleeping form. To have waited would have been proper. She closed her eyes, memories of that first passionate kiss, and the many that followed searing their way through her.
Theron knew everything about her. She opened her eyes, her smile fading from her lips. Last night they had clung to each other as if they were drowning, both lonely beyond words. Now, in the morning, with the promise of being reinstated into the Fanelian court, would he still want her? Her, a knight, a warrior, in some ways a freak?
He opened his eyes slowly, his features bathed in the pale light of dawn. They looked at her with a certain peacefulness, and a watchful amusement that faded upon seeing her face. "You look so sad." He whispered softly, his hand reaching out to her and gently caressing her cheek. Celena felt herself lean into his roughened hand despite herself. "You're regretting last night."
It was a statement. Celena sighed softly. "Aren't you?" She refused to let a tear fall, she was tough, not a tearful, whiny creature.
She wasn't quite expecting the reaction she got. Theron almost roughly pulled her close, his arms wrapped around her solidly and stared into her eyes. "No." he said.
"But what about when you're welcomed back into Fanelia's court as a Lord?" Celena whispered hoarsely. "What about when you have your choice of all the beautiful ladies…"
"I have my choice." Theron interrupted her, running a hand through her hair. "I've met nobility before, Celena. That's why I'm still here instead of in Asturia. You are not like them. You're not like anyone I've ever met." He stared at her hard. "You told me everything about you. Now I want to know it all firsthand." Celena started to open her mouth, only to find Theron's finger laid gently across it. "I don't regret last night." He let his finger slip away from her lips, "I wouldn't regret it if every night for the rest of my life would be like last night. With you." He kissed her then, hard, as if forcing the concept into her brain that like it or not, he intended to stay with her, to really know her.
Celena pulled back from the kiss, before she lost herself in it. "Do you really mean that?" She asked seriously. She knew of men that said all manner of pretty things to women, only to run off later. In all likelihood, even if he meant it now, he would probably change his mind later. She wasn't exactly marrying material after all.
"You won't believe me no matter what I say." Theron said calmly. "Give me a chance, and wait and see for yourself." He smirked up at her.
A heavy fluttering at the window distracted Celena, and she turned to see Artemis perched precariously upon the ledge. She rose from the bed, ignoring for a moment her lack of clothing and opened the window. Artemis flew in, settling upon the bed awkwardly, raising a deadly-looking foot. Celena drew near and kneeling by the side of the bed, untied the note bound to her hawk's leg quickly. She smoothed out the note and read it quickly.
She looked up at Theron, who had now propped himself up in bed to stare down at her, amusement written across his features, along with something else that started a blush across her cheeks. She cleared her throat. "I've received word from King Van." She announced seriously. "I am to convince you to accept a deal whereby Fanelia will acquire this land in return for your reinstatement to the royal court and sufficient compensation as determined by me, as the minister overseeing these dealings."
An ironic smile spread across Theron's features. "Sounds like a fine deal to my ears," he looked down at Celena, letting his eyes fall across her body, "though perhaps it's the manner in which the deal is presented that's most appealing." Celena felt a blush once again creeping across her cheeks, accepting the fact that she was walking around his bedroom without a single stitch to cover herself. His eyes met hers and twinkled in amusement. "I think you should come back to bed," he said softly, "I'm not quite done being convinced."
With only slight mortification, Celena found herself once again wrapped in Theron's rough embrace. The note fluttered to the stone floor soundlessly, and Artemis flew out the window to revel in the wide blue skies above the shoreline, but Celena found all these thoughts rather far from her mind now.