"Were you going to tell me you were leaving, or were you just going to try and disappear like last time?"
Conde sighed, turning away from the water, and facing Mary. She seemed to radiate beneath the light of the moon, and it took him a moment to speak, the mere sight of her stealing his breath as it always had.
"I was trying to make things easier."
"On who? Yourself?"
"Is that so wrong?"
Mary looked him in the eye, like she had many times before, allowing her gaze to flicker to the ground once an odd feeling began to rise in her stomach.
"Please, don't go."
It was three simple words, but they grasped onto him and held him in place. God, how he wanted to give her everything she could possibly desire— but staying wasn't an option. He'd be living out a life sentence of watching her love someone else, a fate his heart could not possibly bare.
"That's not fair to ask of me, and you know it."
She took a step forward, and reached for his arm, a pleading look in her eyes.
"Louis…"
He shook his head a little, a sad smile gracing his features.
"This is why I didn't want to say goodbye, because I knew, one look from you and I'd want to stay…" He placed his hand on top of hers, his thumb moving in a circular motion against her skin. "Though, in truth, that is all the more reason to go."
He let go of her, instantly missing her warmth, and walked quickly toward his horse, but she was relentless in her pursuit of him. She followed close behind, offering him land and a place at court, and he whipped around, grabbing hold of her arms.
"Don't you get it, Mary? I don't care about land, or money, or power, I care about you and I can't stay here and see you every single day and pretend that i'm not in love with you!"
"Surly, If I can do it, so can you!"
Mary's eyes widened when she realized what she had just said… what she had just admitted to. Conde felt the world lift from his shoulders, a world where Mary would never feel the same way for him, as he felt for her.
"Excuse me." She pushed passed him, but his fingers grabbed hold of hers and he turned her around, his free hand cupping the side of her face and pulling her toward him.
He kissed her like he had imagined doing a thousand times over, but best of all, she kissed him back with equal ferocity, her hands a welcomed comfort as they held his face firmly in place. It was a kiss that separated them from everyone and everything, a kiss that had the power to make even Aphrodite blush and they continued to kiss for what felt like their own personal forever, until it had left all other kisses behind in its wake.