The two figures were locked in a stare down, neither wishing to give in. Sir Guy and Ariana had been arguing for nearly an hour now, and both were tired. They were too good friends to fight over things like children anymore. The sun was setting when Guy decided to break the brief respite they'd had.
"Ariana, you have to believe me, please."
"Sir Guy, you've asked me that so many times. Belief? That is something I do not have left to give to you. " Ariana collapsed into one of the chairs, her hair falling onto her shoulders. "I have no belief not given. I have believed you for years, only to return to Nottingham to find you a changed man."
"If you had not left, we would not be having this conversation, Ariana." Guy responded, sitting carefully in the chair across from her, crossing his arms. "I had to leave! I was getting married! What would you have me do? Stay here? Remain a maiden my entire life? My father would not stand for that, and you know it."
His expression darkened, "I would have protected you from him." Ariana scoffed. "As if. You wouldn't have been able to stop him Sir Guy. He is more influential than you or I shall ever be."
"Did your husband ever love you?" Guy spat, he was visibly losing his temper. "Did he ever protect you from anyone's wrath? Did Lancelot-"
"Did you?" Ariana spat with just as much frustration and anger. He frowned. "Did you ever protect me from someone's wrath? You fled from my life rather than face the fact that I was leaving. So much for protecting me from my father." Guy stood, and his fist slammed onto the oak table. Ariana's posture straightened, but she did not flinch. "I tried!" Sir Guy snapped.
"You failed! You should have known better than to attempt! You knew how powerful my father is, and yet you were to busy being childish and idiotic. If you had taken a minute and used some sense, which you seem to possess, we wouldn't be in this mess. Lancelot might not be dead!" Ariana replied.
"He went to the Crusades, he signed his own death warrant."
"How dare you." She hissed. "You didn't go to the Crusades, you have no right to speak of it like that. That is God's Holy War. You have no right, Sir Guy. You lost that ability when you shunned assistance to Lancelot. Despite his shortcomings, he loved me and cared for me. That's more than you can ever say." Guy began laughing, and he walked closer to her. "You think I never cared for you? You accuse me of that? Were it not for me, you wouldn't be in this castle, you wouldn't have the position you have."
After a moment of silence, Ariana backhanded him and Guy knew she was angry. Ariana was not easily angered; she tended to be a diplomat instead of a warrior. "Ow." Guy simply said. "Leave me." Ariana ordered. Guy did not move. "Leave me!" She ordered again. Guy was still frozen. Her nostrils flared, she barely outranked Guy. In fact, she wasn't sure if she did outrank him. Sir Guy took two more steps closer. "You think I never cared for you? Never loved you?" Ariana stood, defiance radiating off her. Her blue eyes met his and she took a deep breath. "You never loved me Sir Guy, not in that way."
"How do you know?"
She laughed breathily. "Please, Sir Guy, when have you ever remotely showed an interest in me? You also have no need for a woman in your life, certainly not a stubborn, over talkative one." Guy's eyes widened. "You think that of yourself?" She gave a half-hearted smile. And laughed again. "Oh Sir Guy. Poor, poor Sir Guy." He frowned at her. "Of course I do, it is all I have been told of myself so I emulate it. It is 1189, Sir Guy. I'm supposed to be quiet and submissive. I despised my father, so I acted against it. He told me of my shortcomings, and I grew to accept them as myself. It was the only way he would pay attention to me."
Guy took her face in his hands, kneeling to reach her height sitting. "You could have come to me, Ariana. I would have loved you, I would have given you attention." Despite his best attempts to keep his temper down, seeing one of his only friends so beaten, it was something he'd never wanted to see. He cut Ariana off, "I would have taken care of you! I would've…" Guy trailed off. Ariana looked up at him, eyes filling with tears. They held the look for a few seconds before she continued."What would've you done, hm? To save me?" Ariana demanded. "I know you Sir Guy, better than you think I do. There was nothing you could've done." Guy knew she was right, but he still wanted to have helped her. Have been there when he wasn't. "I say again. I would've loved you!"
"You do not love me! You never have! Stop lying to me!" Ariana screamed at him. Tears were pouring down her face, and she was shaking. "Says who?" Guy said, and his hands slammed on the back of the chair on either side of her face. "Who said I didn't love you? I need to know so I can punish them." She scoffed, "Now you punish those who speak the truth as well as those who lie?" Guy pulled away as she stood. Both were breathing heavily. "No." Guy finally said "To punish them for lying. I do not punish those who speak the truth." Ariana met his gaze and her tears stopped. "You. Do. Not. Love. Me." She hissed. "Why not?" He demanded. "I am not the type of woman you love, that's why. I am too loud, to headstrong. Too much to love for a man, you cannot love me because no one has."
"You said Lancelot did." Guy pushed.
"He loved my body, not my speech."
Guy took her hands and looked her directly in the eye. "Lady Ariana, I love your speech. I love your body." She chuckled, "Hypocrisy is unattractive Sir Guy." Yet another frown fell across his face. "Guy."
"Hm?" Ariana asked.
"Call me Guy, we are friends. We have no need for formalities here." She gave another breathy laugh. His face drifted even closer to hers, and her breath hitched. Ariana's mouth had gone dry, and Guy's hands had cupped her face again. Out of habit, she licked her lips, and Guy's eyes followed the gesture. Their noses touched, almost their lips. "I love all of you." He whispered, hot breath flowing over her mouth, the minty scent of his breath invaded her brain and her common sense stopped. Ariana almost kissed him. Almost, but stopped. The voice in her mind, the one that was infatuated with Guy was screaming at her. 'What are you doing? He loves you! Kiss him!' Instead, Ariana put a hand on his chest, feeling his racing heart through the leather. "I-I can't," She said. Guy's hands did not move. "And why not?" He demanded, still maintaining a quiet voice. "Because, well," She stopped, in all honesty, there was no reason. Ariana was just unsure about how far he wanted to take this. A thumb caressed her cheekbone. "You're beautiful." He whispered. Her mouth went dry again, and her heart sped up, Ariana was sure it would go out of her chest. Her eyes dashed around the panels of her old room in the castle. Sun flickered through the window to the floor and dust particles danced in the light. So many things had happened here, in this room. Guy had comforted her when she became betrothed to Lancelot, he had hugged her and a moment rather like this one had happened.
"Sir Guy –" A finger was laid across her lips, and Guy came infinitesimally closer. "Call me Guy." Ariana took a deep breath, and Guy grinned at the effect he had on her. "Guy, why on earth would you want to kiss me?" Her downcast eyes met his, and he removed one hand from her face. It found a home on her lower back. Another small smile came across his face, and his thumb went back to caressing her cheekbone. "This is why," He murmured. And his lips met hers.
Warmth like no other ran through her. His lips were chapped and rough upon her softer ones. His hands pulled her closer to him and the one on her back tangled in her hair. They first grasped his hair, pulling it gently. Then they moved to the lapels of his jacket and one hand moved underneath it. He felt the warmth of her body, mouth, and hands and felt like he was floating under an ocean. The ocean of what she did to him. The most aggravating moments, the best ones, all came together in the single kiss they shared. Her cheeks were warm, and her lips tasted of strawberry. Kissing her felt exhilarating, like riding a horse top speed. After a moment, she pulled him closer, hesitantly, as if not sure what to do. He smiled against her lips. The hand on his jacket clenched pulled him so much closer.
She was melting underneath the fire behind his kiss. It was pure heat, like being bathed in fire. He pushed at her limits in the best way and she let him. There was a constant stream of adoration radiating off him. He was a fire of love, and passion, buried under duty and loyalty. It was en energizing. She couldn't get enough of him, and he knew it. The second smile she felt against her lips told her that. Both of his hands were massaging her lower back, and her hands were rubbing his chest through his shirt.
They broke apart.
Ariana was flushed and her lips were red. Guy probably didn't look much better. Her breathing was hitching constantly; she was more stunning to him. He stared at her face, everything coming down on him. If he closed his eyes he knew the image would be there, the feeling of it. He could see her pulse beating in her jugular, and inhaled her scent. It hit him full force, and would have sent him reeling if he wasn't so grounded. Fruits, the smell of her home, spun in his mind. It was the smell that had haunted his dreams for years, long before anyone else.
Her wide eyes stared at him, her pupils blown, the blue nearly gone. There was silence for a while, her hands had migrated to the lapels of his jacket, but his were still firmly on her back. They simply stared at each other for a time. Ariana's mind racing, but Guy was awfully distracting. The sun was still streaming through the window, though it was fading into evening. There was a knock at her door. "My lady?" It was Helen, her servant. "One minute Helen." She then turned to Guy and kissed his cheek. Ariana opened the door and let Guy out, Helen curtsying low when she realized Sir Guy had been in her chambers. "My apologies, Sir Guy." He nodded, and turned and kissed Ariana's hand and took his leave, both exchanging a secret glance as he did.