The Fragrance of Violets
Dedicated to Myaru
Disclaimer is as usual- everything belongs to Konami, etc, not me.
She often wondered how he truly felt about her. It had been a long day, and summoning so many monsters had really taken the strength out of her. Sarah sighed and slid down further into the tub. She slumped her porcelain shoulders and hung her head, feeling the deliciously warm water lap against her chin. Her eyelids drooped and she gazed through pale eyelashes at the tops of her bent knees protruding from the water like twin deserted islands. She was alone, afloat in a tropical sea. Sarah's mind was firmly affixed to the ground, but she tried for a few moments to let a ridiculous daydream sweep her away.
Err, what was that scenario again? When she thought about it consciously it was hard to begin such a fantasy, but at other times they overtook her of their own accord, and she would blush, embarrassed that they came from her own mind. She closed her eyes tight and pursed her lips, focusing inward.
She was lying on a sun-warmed, sandy beach. Not a gray-white sand like she had seen she had seen on Harmonia's eastern coast, but a glowing yellow-brown sand. She had been washed ashore by the tide, which lapped gently at her feet, and it was not cold, like the Harmonian seas, but torrid as a cup of fresh-poured tea.
She was wearing her usual blue garments- no, something...thinner, lighter...more suited to the locale- a loose white shift, still damply clinging to her body.
Her eyes flickered open slowly at the sound of Luc's voice. He was concerned about her, but not yet distraught.
He burst out of the lush depths of the jungle- yes, the central portions of this island were occupied by a humid rainforest, probably full of dangerous snakes and quicksand that they could only survive by supporting each other...
Anyway, Luc, shirtless, burst out of the jungle, and upon catching sight of her, loped down the beach and dropped to her side. She looked up at him peacefully, happy to awaken to the sight of his face.
"Sarah, I'm so glad you're alright," he murmured and, putting an arm around her shoulders, lifted her up from the sand and kissed---
"Sarah?" came Luc's voice.
Her eyes flew open and she sat up straight, sending shaking ripples through the water of the tub.
"Sarah, are you okay? You've been in there a really long time..." He sounded more quizzical than worried.
"I'm just fine, Master Luc," she managed to squeak back, wondering what he might have said had he realized what sort of thoughts were occupying her mind. "I'll be out in just a moment."
He responded with some sort of vague noise of approval and his footsteps could be heard moving away from the door.
If I had more nerve, I would've asked him to come in and join me, she thought. Well, anyway, that was just not her personality or way of doing things. Although the shock the suggestion would've given Luc might have been fun...
Sarah stood up and reached for her towel. She stepped cautiously from the tub and began to rub herself dry. Before this was all done, there had to be some way she could let Luc know exactly how she felt about him. His mission was to be free from his rune, but her task was twofold- to help him accomplish this goal in any way he asked, and to declare her love.
Clad in a striped white and blue nightgown, she shuffled past him, crumpled clothing hanging over one arm. The warmth of the bath still hung about her in a pleasant haze. She hung her dress over the back of a chair and sat on the edge of the bed, lazily pulling a wooden comb through her straight, wet hair. Luc watched her for a while with a smile on his face, until eventually ducking into the bathroom in turn.
Sarah was too tired to do anymore work that day. She hoped she could wake up early the next morning and get some laundry done before there was any other work to attend to. Putting the comb aside, she pulled down the covers and slipped into the bed. Her body welcomed the touch of the soft mattress and the cool sheets. She pulled the cover up to her chest and examined the swirling turquoise and green pattern of the faded fabric. Something about the design stirred old memories in her. There were times she could not fully recall...walking on a rocky shore with a stooped old woman as foaming waves beat the coast...the checkered fields that slid by into eternity as she gazed out a carriage window...
But there was also an instance from when she was still quite young that was burned into her mind forever... The lightning crackling over the white city, his outstretched hand, the rain falling in through the open window...she had taken his hand and looked back. It was the night she had escaped. The night she had left Harmonia for good. When the Magician's Island has flashed into view, the first thing she had seen was the tower. The second was the rolling water surrounding the forested bit of land.
Sarah folded her hands and let her head sink down into the pillow. What kind of memories did Luc have of his arrival on the island? She wished she could once more smell the salty ocean's scent mingled with that of the towering pines. It had been a mixture both cool and tangy, bringing her a solid, sensible sort of strength as she had taken care of her chores around the tower.
Suddenly, an idea struck her. Could a certain scent be the correct way to strike a chord with Luc's heart? Did the light, sleepy smell of chamomile and honey comfort him, as it did her? Did the odor of old books and dusty drapes remind him of hours of serious study? And, most importantly, could the sweet aroma of violets capture his full attention and warm his heart to hers?
Unless she could find some way, magical or otherwise, to concoct a fragrance of her own, violets would have to do. It was the scent of a tiny bottle of perfume she had worn only once before...
As Luc crawled into bed beside her, yawning loudly, she closed her eyes hopefully. She just might have found the extra bit of help she needed.
Luc was beginning gradually to wake up. He rolled over onto his side and breathed deeply through his nose. The strong scent of violets flooded his senses. Without opening his eyes, he recalled a day when Sarah had smelled this way. She had been sweeping the steps, but stopped suddenly when he arrived to come and ask him a question. For some reason, that day he finally realized she looked like a woman, not a little girl. Her lilac dress hung loosely over her breasts, tightening at her slim waist, only to widen again around her hips. The scent of violets had been weaker then, but it was definitely present. Now the fragrance was much stronger. The violet, usually a timid flower, was acting in a bold manner.
Luc opened his eyes and sat up. Sarah sat at the edge of the bed and when he sat up, she turned to look at him.
Luc swallowed. He felt more consciously aware of her beauty than he had in previous day...her iceberg blue eyes and delicate, carnation pink lips. She was already neat and clean, dressed in an outfit of ivory and plum tones. He wondered how long she had been up. It made him conscious of his messy hair. He had just woken up and was not nearly half as attractive a sight as her.
"Good morning, Master Luc," she smiled. Her pale face colored slightly. She turned and placed her hands on the bed, so she was leaning her weight on her arms and facing him. "I have something very important to tell you, and I don't think it can wait any longer."
He nodded slowly. He was listening. He really wanted to hear what she had to say. His heart seemed to beat little faster, and as she moved closer to him, he pushed aside the covers.
She sat next to him, leaning slightly back against her pillow. Their eyes met and they looked at each other intently. "Master Luc, I am wholly and completely in love with you," she declared firmly.
Was this what he had felt too? The emotion that had kept him wanting her by his side? He was not always fully aware of it, but the feeling was there. "I, I love you too," he replied, aquiver from head to toe with emotion.
Her sedate smile transformed into a beaming expression of joy. Her eyes sparkled and a peach flush colored her cheeks.
Caught up in the thrill of the moment Luc took the already blissful woman in his arms and kissed her.
In this moment of total dedication to each other, Luc and Sarah breathed the fragrance of violets, and to them it was the scent of an endless paradise.