Loving
Claire was considered quite lucky. She revived her farm and gave the economy a slight boost. She gave Vesta some much needed competition that continued to raise the crops of the valley by a staggering amount. She also helped Carter and Flora to make an astounding discovery at the mines. She brought people to their senses and made couples which would soon join in matrimony.
All in all, she was the valley's good luck charm.
If only the residents knew.
Claire was far from their good luck charm. She drew danger to their peaceful Forget-Me-Not Valley. Their quiet lives were on the brink of shattering. There had been a sudden surge of crime. Pick pockets and burglars visited more and more frequently.
Phantom Skye's success had spread through the underground circuits. Various underground bosses and leaders turned their attention to the valley. A paradigm shift had rocked the residents. It shook them to their very core.
Phantom Skye was no longer an unjustifiable thief. He liked to loot them of nick-knacks and trinkets still. However, his main occupation turned to driving his competitors from the valley. He wanted to make it his home but that could never be. Instead, he worked to repay the woman who granted him his success – Claire.
Claire had allowed him to escape far too many times. It endangered her livelihood and her friendships. He admired her for that. She always saw something in him that no one else did. Even as he worked for the people his intentions were questioned. Forget-Me-Not Valley's residents had suffered too much by his hand to ever accept him.
Phantom Skye understood that. He worked from the shadows. His intentions were mystified and unknown. They liked to gossip about him and he only wanted to give them something back. If it meant that he would be bad-mouthed then he would accept that.
It was little in comparison to his withdrawal from Claire's life.
Claire knew that it was Skye who protected them. She knew that he was kind enough that he did it from good will. She kept his secret. She only wanted to be of use to him and to be there for him. She longed to be his one safe haven but he no longer came to her.
Her life without him was lonesome and, as she met with Marlin more often, more guilt-ridden.
They both worked to improve the life of the other. Their hearts were cloaked by their own inability to reveal their feelings. Though the two grew farther apart in time and distance they remained close where it mattered most.
It was a curse of solitude cast with the best of intentions. Neither the Harvest Goddess nor the Witch Princess had the heart to tell the other that they had suffered in solitude for no reason but miscommunication. The two were forever held captive in their own love for one another that was, in itself, a prison sentence.
Such suffering and grievance were born of the greatest cure of all – loving.
Author's Note: Yes, I've done it again. Don't feel too sorry for them though. There is a great deal of goodness in this story. Time, distance, people and space cannot hinder the eternal growth of their love. Other than that it's tragedy all of the way. That is how I write though and I wouldn't change it for the world. Even if it may have been sad I do hope that you enjoyed this story. I thank you for reading my work and I apologise if it was not to your taste.
Part of the Revival Collection.