They stood outside, a brisk autumn morning just beginning. Pale sunlight bathed the ground in a pink glow. Seth met Eirika's gaze, seeing her eyes flash with a hidden emotion. Somehow, she looked both different and the same.
How long had it been since he'd seen her?
She didn't speak. Seth was captivated by her silent strength, her straight back and stubborn chin as she looked right at him. Right through him. The wind soared around them in a sudden gust, and Eirika's hair blew lightly across her near-expressionless face.
What was she thinking?
Wordlessly, she reached out a hand, palm facing him. Seth stared, his mind whirling. Her fingertips stretched towards him.
It was a question. A decision he had to make. Why had he come back? Vivid images flashed before his eyes – images of her, of them. Mostly of her. Radiant smiles and laughs made a day in war suddenly lighter; blood speckled across her clothes and skin sparked fury deep inside his heart. Seth blinked, and she was still there, her hand still outstretched.
He could never live without her, he knew. Separation had taught him that. And he could never hurt her, either. If he took her hand, would he be taking a risk that was far more dangerous than either of them could understand? But in the back of his mind, he knew what he had to do. He did not earn his knighthood or fight without reserve in war after war just to become a coward after it was all over. And she was Eirika – princess or not, she was so strong.
Seth lifted his hand and pressed his palm to hers, twining their fingers together tightly. He heard her breath catch. For one frozen moment, they stood, joined, before Eirika threw her arms around Seth's neck, and he held her close like she was his sole lifeline.
She was, in so many ways, Seth thought. Held safely in his arms, she was the one who kept him breathing.
"Seth." A soft, quavering whisper tickled his ear. "Does your offer still stand?"
"Offer?" Seth asked quietly. He ran a hand over her hair, brushed her cheek with two gentle fingers.
"You said – you said you wished that you could take me away, someplace far away, where we could be together." Now she pulled back, just a little, her eyes gleaming. "Let's do it, Seth. Let's run away together. Just us."
"But you – you're a princess. You must be here." Leaning his forehead against hers, Seth breathed in deeply and captured the scent of her warm breath floating against his face. "I shouldn't be doing this."
"Yes, you should," Eirika whispered passionately. "Seth, I don't have to rule. Ephraim can – he's about to be married. He's willing to let me go."
Her words struck hope deep inside his heart. Hope that shouldn't be there. Seth's breath began to come short in his lungs.
"I want you, Seth." Her voice was soft, so soft it was barely audible. "I don't want to stay here forever. I want to be with you."
How could he deny her?
Seth held her face in his hands, brushed his thumb across her lips, and kissed her. Thunder raced through his veins; all logic vanished from his mind as their breath mingled, his lips easing gently over hers. Suddenly, she was all that existed, the rest of the world white and gone. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and when Seth broke away, Eirika shook her head and pulled him back. Something fired off in his mind, pounding out all other thoughts with swift clashes and deafening strikes.
Only she was there.
Without warning, Seth became powerfully aware – of her hands in his hair, her chest and legs pressed against his, her body in his arms. The ringing in his ears stopped, and he came crashing back to reality, breathing as if he had run to her all the way from Grado. They paused at the same time for air, just enough to fill tired lungs.
With barely a second's hesitation, Eirika kissed him again, heatedly, refusing to accept gentle warmth. Sliding his hands down her sides, Seth held her firmly at her waist, protective. Slowly – reluctantly – he drew away from her, their eyes meeting in a flush. Eirika's gaze burned, full of a fire that Seth had never seen before. She wanted this, more than anything else. Seth pressed his lips to her forehead, her nose, her cheeks, before she turned her head, and they found each other's lips again.
She was his; he was hers. For that moment, nothing else mattered.
They rested their foreheads together and didn't move, breathing each other's winded breath. Eirika's hands moved to find his shirt. She gripped it tightly, pulling her mouth up to his ear.
"Where should we go?" she murmured, the words breathless and laced with excitement.
"Are you sure? Can you really know that this is what you want? This will be different than anything else you've ever known – away from the palace - "
"I know," she whispered, eyes flashing. "I know."
Seth waited for her next words, his heart skipping so many beats that it might as well have stopped altogether.
"Take me away, Seth."
The words were sighed into his ear, followed by the ghost of kiss and fast, hot breathing. He didn't need any more persuasion. She had him, every part of him, from the very beginning. It had always been that way.
His mouth curved into a smile, and he and lifted her off the ground. Her legs wrapped tightly around his waist. Kissing the tip of her nose, Seth let his lips whisper back down to hers.
"Whatever you wish, Eirika."
Looking out across the hills, she breathes in the fresh, clear air, full of the fragrance of unique flowers and trees. She's never known any nature besides her garden at the palace and the scraggly, war-ravaged grounds she traveled years before. Or, at least, what felt like years. In reality, it wasn't very long ago, but the war was not something Eirika often allowed to linger in her thoughts.
She twirls in the breeze, feeling more carefree than she can ever remember. Peace and calmness surrounds her, and with a contented sigh, she falls onto the soft grass, closing her eyes at once. The sounds and smells wash over her, and she's lost in her world's wonders.
A soft touch on her elbow pulls her back into reality. Blinking, Eirika opens her eyes to see Seth lying close beside her. He's grinning, and when her eyes open, he leans forward and presses a light a kiss to her lips. A thrill races through her heart.
"Good morning," Eirika says softly when he pulls away. "How did you know I was here?"
"I don't sleep as soundly as you think I do."
Eirika smiles, and Seth kisses her cheeks, her nose, her lips again. "Good morning to you, too," Eirika says breathlessly. She's never gotten used to this – feeling his lips and his soft touch. She probably never will. Which, she knows, is not necessarily a bad thing.
They lie in silence for a moment, fingers twined together and close. Seth's soft breath tickles her face and his eyes glitter in the light. "Do you like it here?" he asks quietly.
"I love it, Seth. It's beautiful here. It's quiet; it's peace. We're together." Eirika squeezes his tense hand, rubbing her thumb in tiny circles on his palm. "As long as we're together."
"You don't miss Renais? You don't miss home?"
She bites her lip and looks away from him, focusing on the thin, wispy blades of grass. Home. Where was home, now?
"I miss Renais," she says at last. "Renais. The castle, the garden, the people. Ephraim. I miss that."
Seth opens his mouth to speak, but Eirika stops him with a finger to his lips. "But that's not home anymore," she murmurs. "This is home. You're home."
He doesn't reply, but stares, his eyes unreadable. Worried, Eirika pulls her hand away from his lips. Without warning, a fierce breeze circles around her, and she shivers in the sharp, sudden cool. Seth grabs her retreating fingers, his hand warm, and he gently kisses each of her fingertips, never releasing her hand back to the cold air.
By now, she can barely breathe. She's too overcome, too amazed, living in a dream that feels so real.
It is real.
Seth seems to understand. Smiling, he pulls her close and wraps an arm around her shoulders. Eirika rests her head against his warm chest, soothed by the steady beat of his heart. A careful hand traces patterns across her back. They lie there together until the gleaming sun is tugged down by the craggy mountaintops, and stars begin to glitter in the sky like diamonds strewn across dark stone. Seth kisses her temple and murmurs in her ear.
"Welcome home, Eirika."
Sparks flew from underneath him as hooves crashed against dry stone, slamming into the ground like a blacksmith's hammer. The scenery flashed by him in a blur of mixed, unreadable colors. Beside him soared someone else, matching his speed, her long hair dancing behind her in the breeze.
The mountain path opened into a grassy flat, and Eirika cantered to a stop, turning to face Seth. "I win," she said, grinning.
"It wasn't a race," countered Seth. Eirika just laughed, and that made Seth smile, too.
"Spar with me," she said cheerfully. She tapped her horse forward, her sword steady in her hand.
"Are you sure?" Seth drew his own blade, shifting into a steadier position. He grinned as fresh wind picked up fallen leaves and spiraled them though the air. "Ready?"
"Ready." Her eyes flashed with the challenge. She was in the perfect position, prepared for any attack. Sword gleaming, she kicked her horse forward at exactly the same time as Seth did.
Metal crashed against metal, ringing out over the mountains with a sharp clang. Eirika smiled and swung back as swiftly as lightning, twisting her blade deftly under his raised arm. Seth blocked, then didn't waste a second, striking back towards her. Dodging away, she secured her grip on her sword and danced forward to hit again.
Back and forth they went, neither losing ground or giving in to the other. Eirika fought with speed, swinging her sword and moving until she was a blur around him.
He was captivated. With every strike, Seth moved close and saw her fierce gaze, saw the strength in her stance, heard her fast breathing.
And then, somehow, she was leaning forward, her sword at his neck. "I win," she whispered teasingly.
"I was distracted," protested Seth. Eirika didn't move her blade, smiling slyly.
"By what?"
"By you," he murmured sweetly. He felt Eirika's guard drop with the slight flush that crept across her cheeks.
Swiftly Seth lifted his blade and pushed hard against her, his strength overpowering her. He watched her eyes widen in surprise as their swords remained locked, and then Eirika's fell clattering to the ground.
"I win," grinned Seth, sheathing his sword. Eirika stuck her tongue out at him.
"Not fair," she pouted, but there was a smile in her eyes.
Swinging down out of his saddle, Seth picked up Eirika's blade from the grass and handed it back to her. She snatched and sheathed it quickly, determinedly not looking at his cocky grin. Seth stood tall on his toes; she was still mounted. "All's fair in love and in war," he whispered. He felt a shiver course through her body, just inches away from his own.
He smiled.
This happens, Eirika thought bleakly. It's not unusual. It'll pass in time. It has to.
Arguments arose over the most inconsequential things.
But despite whatever she told herself, she was scared. The fury that had blazed inside her without any warning had now paled to a dull sting, but it still shocked her; the violent words flying from her lips now felt as if they must have been spoken by a stranger through her body. But she knew it had been her.
Tears stung at her eyes, and she cursed, shutting them tightly; she fisted her hand and brushed her fingers over damp cheeks. She was being foolish; she was being silly. She was being a child. Just like he had called her in his anger during the thick of their argument, and she had retaliated without thinking, saying the very words that would cause him the most pain. If she was such a child, he shouldn't have taken her from her home, should he? Did he not trust her? Did he not believe that she was strong enough to protect herself? No, he insisted on shepherding her, like a baby unaware of the world's harsh truths. If he wasn't going to let her travel over the mountains on her own, to visit the village every now and then, then why did they even come here together if she was no more than his prisoner, his bedwarmer?
It was then that he had frozen, and she had stormed at, suddenly far more furious at herself than she was at him. Looking back, she knew how absolutely ridiculous the argument was, but they had both expanded it into some massive issue drawing on their worst fears.
What if he didn't forgive her for what she had said? Would she have forgiven herself? Now she was alone and cold for the first time since they had run away together. For the first time, she was on her own, without the warmth of his gaze and the comfort of his arms. It was the first time, too, that she realized how much she needed him.
Leaning her head against the roots of a large, old tree, Eirika tried to rest, to take solace in the silence around her. She wasn't in her garden, but she was outside, breathing in nature's soft, clear air. It was her moment of peace. She pressed her knees to her chest in a tight ball.
The tears came again, and this time, she made no move to stop them. It wasn't worth it. A breeze rushed from the stony mountains to wrap around Eirika, cold and encompassing, but she welcomed it. She ached to disappear, as if a lack of her presence would make the words she'd said disappear as if they'd never happen, taking away Seth's pain.
A sudden, tiny noise, barely discernable over the breeze, made Eirika turn and look around. Standing behind her was Seth, looking windswept and torn, his gaze exposed. Eirika bit her lip, determined to wait, wondering who was to apologize first. She shivered again in the chill, and Seth noticed.
Wordlessly he walked over, knelt beside her, and pulled her roughly into his arms. Warmth flooded Eirika's body as she curled into him, unable to do anything else. She still cried, silently, and for a long moment they sat there, not murmuring a single word.
Eventually, Eirika took a few deep, soothing breaths, and she was able to pull back and look clearly at his face. His auburn eyes were filled with an apology, and his hand moved to wipe the tears from her cheeks.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly, cradling her again. "I'm sorry, Eirika."
"No, I'm sorry," she murmured. "I – I shouldn't have said any of that, Seth, I'm so sorry. It's not true, at all, I – "
She was interrupted by Seth's fingers pressing gently against her lips. "Shh," he said, holding her head to his chest and rubbing her back. "It doesn't matter anymore. It's over."
Eirika nodded, relief filling her heart and mind. She closed her eyes, content to stay in his arms for any amount of time at all. "I love you, Seth," she whispered.
Forgiveness was anything and everything, she decided.
