Tales of Legendia

Chapter 4

Thoughts of You

Finally, after wading through the oceans for no less than half of a day, we reached the docks of Gadoria.

"Wow...It's so lively!" exclaimed an excited Norma.

With a blue, flawless sky and a radiant sun shining down on us, we were honored with the sight of such a bustling and wondrous city. There were so many people here that it was near impossible to conceive. Passing by so many of them, we saw numerous acts of common courtesy, pleasant remarks, and even a handful of greetings. It was almost hard to believe that a place this magnificent used to be on the verge of destruction due to Vaclav's influence.

"Everyone," Will said, halting in front of our group, "We should head directly for the House of Valens. We'll have some time to look around and mingle with the locals after we see Chloe."

We all nodded in agreement, but we were also a little skeptical of Will's decision.

"Say, Teach," asked Norma, "If we're gonna go visit C right now, don'tcha think we should start by asking where she lives?"

To no one's surprise, Will's arms crossed themselves along his chest, and he smirked at Norma's bubbly proclamation.

"That's a good idea. Norma, why don't you do that for us? We'll wait here."

"Huh?" she blurted. "How come you can't do it?"

"I'm the group leader, here," he demanded. "So, I would like you to do this for us."

"Bull!" she retorted. "If anything, Senny's the leader of the group!" She walked over to me, latching her arm on my own, her face beaming with a cheesy grin. "Right, Senny?"

"...Whatever."

A slight groan slipped through her lips, and she forced herself to release my arm, walking back over to Will and past him, right over to an elderly woman. She seemed narrow-sighted; I could only assume that's what the large glasses were for.

"'Scuse me, lady?" Norma asked abruptly. "Know where I can find the House of Valens?"

The elderly woman smiled warmly at Norma's bubbly attitude, and she gestured a finger straight behind Will. It pointed to a distant house that resembled a glorious mansion, colored white with stained-glass windows and a massive towering double-door entrance. It almost looked like a city church.

"Thanks, lady!" Norma grinned, jumping back over to us with glee.

"So, now we know where Chloe is," Will added. "Everyone, let's be on our way."

We followed the two fearless leaders over to the massive home, and finally, we stood right before it. I gazed upward at the expansive door before me, still amazed at how tall the door actually was. Suddenly, I felt a light tap on my shoulder, and when I turned to look behind me, it was revealed to be Norma tapping me, gesturing for me to proceed.

"Me?" I asked, pointing to myself with a confused expression.

Everyone in the group nodded simultaneously, forcing a sigh out of me. Turning back around, I faced the door and slightly pushed it aside, revealing a big enough gap for us to enter. We stepped inside of the house, our eyes circling the scenery around us. Marbled floors, beautiful walls painted a solid white-silver, the true beauty of the masterful art behind the stained-glass windows looking down on us, and even the gorgeous decor throughout the room. No words could truly express the sight we were lucky enough to behold.

"Who goes there?" demanded a voice, descending from a nearby staircase.

It appeared to be one of the guards assigned to guard the house. Naturally, this was Will's chance to intervene before things got nasty.

"Hello," he started, "We are friends of Chloe's. We each received an invitation to attend the celebration of the restoration of the House of Valens."

The guard's aggressive look suddenly turned to a relieved and happy one. "Ahh, the group of friends Ms. Valens travelled with on the Legacy! How wonderful to meet you all!"

"Yes," Will added, "It's very nice to meet you, as well. I must say, you've all done an excellent job at keeping this place so beautiful. I'm simply amazed."

"It's good to hear you say that," the guard replied. "Ms. Valens should be in her quarters right now. I'll send for her. Please wait in the Audience Chamber on the second floor," he gestured his hand into a pointer finger, pointing directly ahead of us, up another flight of stairs, "right over there."

"Thank you," Will said, leading us all to the chamber in question as we all ascended the stairs to wait for Chloe.

Finally...at long last, I could see her. I would get to see Chloe again, and maybe, if things weren't too weird between us, we would be able to talk about...my unexplainable feelings towards her.

It wasn't but ten minutes later that we were greeted by two guards and a maid. They had smiles lit across their faces, eager to tell us some good news, I hoped.

"Friends from the Legacy, we present to you the lady in question! Your hostess: Ms. Chloe Valens!"

The guards stretched their weapons in a signature gesture, angling their swords in honor of their hostess. The maid stood to the side of the guard on the left, bowing ever so gracefully for her sudden arrival. We were also eager to see her, of course, but when we witnessed the figure round the corner to greet us, none of us could believe what our eyes absorbed.

Chloe Valens, more beautiful than ever.

She was only an inch or so taller, but her entire figure seemed to have changed in the past two years. Her short, ebony hair had grown past her shoulders, which I knew for a fact was a sign that she had finally come to terms with her past. She was garbed in a stunning white dress, much like the one she told me of during her past memories. Her entire body-including her majestic curves-complemented her physique and manner so perfectly. She was, without a doubt, a woman worth dying for.

And the woman I have dreamt of so tirelessly...

"C!" Norma shouted, unable to contain her excitement. She dashed over to Chloe, enciting her in a sudden and strangling hug. Shirley was only moments behind her, and soon, the three girls shared a series of laughs and greetings.

"It's been so long, everyone," Chloe said, smiling warmly as the other girls finally released her. She dusted off her dress slightly, and then, she looked directly at me. Her eyes widened a little bit, signaling that something about me seemed to interest her. My eyes widended in return, because I knew for certain that everything about her intrigued me.

For a few moments, there was silence. The gang had decided to sit back and wait for one of us to make a move, and thankfully, she was the first to start. Her legs slowly walked her over to me, and I responded in kind. Now, we were but a few inches away from one another. And again, silence had prevented us from saying anything. We seemed to be entranced just by the other's presence. Norma had put a hand to Will's mouth to prevent him from saying anything, and Shirley had done the same for Jay. In the end, they all watched on, expecting something grand or spectacular to occur.

"C...Coolidge..." she finally said, intensifying her look into my eyes.

"Chloe..." I said, almost as a light whisper. Other than a single word, I found myself speechless. I was unable to really understand just what it was that left me breathtaken about her. Naturally, there were so many great things to consider, but I couldn't find the will to express them vocally.

"I..." I watched her cheeks turn a slight crimson. "I really missed you..."

"Y-Yeah..." I replied sheepishly, feeling my cheeks burn a little in turn. "I missed you, too."

"R...Really?"

"Yeah..." I nodded, losing my train of thought before I realized that the next words left my lips.

"More than you could imagine..."

She blinked at my comment, and I saw most of her face grow red as a tomato. I didn't mean for my words to come out that way! They just sort of...did!

"We'll just...leave you all to yourselves," the guard on the right said, clearing his throat.

"Y-Yes!" the maid agreed. "Splendid idea! Dinner will be at seven. Please meet in the Dining Room on your left around that time. Until then..."

The servants to Chloe swiftly left the room, leaving our group to ourselves. Still, nobody said anything. No one greeted her. No one gave her another hug or shook her hand. Nothing. They decided to allow us the time of day to talk. Something that, apparently, needed to happen two years ago.

"Umm..." Chloe stammered. "C-Coolidge, if you're not busy, would you..." I could almost feel the lump in her throat as she swallowed hard before speaking her next words. "Would you mind...staying here to talk with me?"

I shrugged my shoulders with a smile, the blush still across my cheeks. "Yeah, sure," I said, almost nonchalantly.

"G-Great! She exclaimed, smiling widely, as if a new light just filled her eyes. "Let's go to the courtyard! I'll take you there!"

She quickly reached over and grabbed my hand, which I obviously wasn't against. However, after only a few moments, she came to a sudden pause, glancing back down at our combined hands. I felt her warmth. She was starting to feel more embarrassed as our hands stayed connected, and so, she released them, gesturing her arms lightly forward to point me in the right direction.

"T-This way," she said, a slight stutter in her voice.

I continued to follow her, leaving the group behind for a short while. Of course, I did feel a little bad about it, but they didn't say or do anything to interject. So, I assumed it was all right.

"Whaddya think is gonna happen?" questioned Norma, finally letting go of Will.

"What are you expecting to happen?" asked Will, disgruntled.

"Aww, c'mon!" She leapt straight in front of them, her arms out wide and her bubbly attitude still as perky as ever. "You don't think this is the best thing for them?"

"What's that mean, Bubbles?" asked Moses.

"It means-" she paused, glancing over at Shirley for a split second, then returned her sight to the red-haired bandit. "It means that we should help Senny and C get together!"

To no one's surprise, nor dismay, Shirley approached the cheerful treasure hunter and bonked her on the head, releasing a sigh as she did.

"Shirl, you didn't have to hit me!"

"Yes, I did," she replied. "You said the same thing about Jay and I while we were on the ship."

"Oh," Moses interjected, "That's right. I didn't see much o' ya'll two after a while. Was everythin' all right?"

His words chilled the spines of both Shirley and Jay, forcing a mad blush to spread across their faces. Naturally, they weren't too keen to openly admit to making love in front of anybody, but they knew that, eventually, the secret would be out.

"Don't tell me..." Norma said, almost inaudibly. She glanced over at Will, who cleared his throat rather violently. He was convinced it was the only way to relieve the tension.

"Norma, Moses, please," he said, "Let's not worry ourselves with things like that. The maid said that dinner will be at seven, so until then, I am allowing all of you to wander the city freely. Just don't do anything reckless, and make sure to be back here a little early."

Shirley and Jay rapidly nodded simultaneously, dashing out of the building as quickly as possible. Norma shrugged with a smile, walking in the direction of the other staircase, intent on taking a quick "sweep" of the house. The scholar was left to himself, but as anybody would suspect, he kindly approached the nearest maid, politely asked if there was a library located somewhere in the city, and gained the tidbit of information he needed, thanking the maid kindly and leaving the house to locate said source of knowledge.

Meanwhile...

Chloe and I had finally arrived at the courtyard, and to my surprise, we were the only ones there. It was almost as if I had wandered into a beautiful field of green, filled with life and virtue. Flowers of all breeds were blooming so gently across it, and there was even a small fountain located in the center of it all. The water was clean and crisp, almost begging you to drink from it and have a taste of its purity. Chloe had gestured for me to sit on a small wooden bench next to the fountain, and I complied with a smile. We sat next to one another, the closest contact we've shared in years.

"I'm very glad you decided to come, Coolidge," Chloe began the conversation.

"Huh?" I questioned. "Of course I was gonna show up. You're our friend, Chloe. And that includes me, too."

She giggled slightly. "I suppose...I suppose you're right."

Silence. Though, to a certain extent, I was accustomed to this sound by now, it was still awkward when she was around me. But not in a bad way. Almost as if...I could just sit here, beside her, forever.

"Hey...Chloe?"

"Hmm?" She cocked her head to the side.

I inhaled deeply, releasing my breath before getting ready to speak.

"There's something I...I need to tell you. And I know it's gonna sound really weird, maybe even stupid, but..."

I witnessed a warm smile across her face. "Senel, you don't have to worry about that," she cooed. "Just tell me what's on your mind."

My eyes had widened at the sound of my first name from her lips. I was so unaccustomed to hearing that, it almost threw me off guard.

"W-Well," I blushed, "Since we've been apart...I mean, since you left back for Gadoria, I've been thinking. A lot."

"Oh? About what?"

I averted my eyes from hers, embarrassed to finish my sentence.

"...You."

The split second I took to see her reaction, I wasn't exactly satisfied. Apparently, she was shocked. Something I wasn't too sure was a good sign.

"Oh..."

"'Oh?'" I repeated. "That's all?"

"N-No, that's not it," she stuttered. "I just...I never expected to hear you say something like that. At least...not to me."

"Not to you? Then...to who?"

"...You even have to ask?" she sighed.

"You mean Shirley?"

She nodded slowly, her face dimming with a frown.

"I was so convinced that...you and Shirley would be together by now. I kept telling myself that maybe, just maybe, there was still a chance...but I had no idea how wrong I was."

"What're you talking about?" I exclaimed. "Shirley and I aren't-"

She hastefully looked up at me, her gaze seeming to beg for comfort.

"We're not a couple, Chloe," I continued. "Shirley is my sister. That's how it's gonna stay. Besides, Jay is the one she chose. Not me."

"Jay?" I saw her expression change so quickly, it was almost baffling. "Really? That was the last thing I suspected."

"No kidding," I laughed. "It shocked the hell outta me, too."

We shared a laugh with one another, enjoying the cheerful atmosphere. It was then that I realized what she was going to say.

"Wait...When you said you thought that there was a chance, what did you mean?"

To my surprise, I felt her hand clenched as a fist, right on the back of my head. She had bonked me rather forcefully. I guess a little bit of Will has gotten to everybody. I flailed out of my seat in what must have been confusion.

"What'd you do that for?!" I shouted.

"Because you're an idiot!" she shouted back.

"What...?"

"You..." I was surprised, to say the least, when I started to see a few tears swell in her eyes. This was definitely not something I was used to seeing. I couldn't bear it.

"You have no idea...how long I've wanted to tell you this."

"T...Tell me what?"

She walked closer to me, finally embracing me in the only real hug we've ever shared. This was a side of Chloe that I definitely wasn't used to seeing. She was always so strong, so courageous, and I was lead to believe that she didn't feel the obligation to have time for nonsense. This Chloe was more sensitive, more in touch with how she really felt about things, and comfortable with telling me, her friend, anything she felt necessary.

"After all this time," I heard her voice from below my chin, "You just now started to think this way about me. I've been thinking of you so often, I'm convinced that it's making me insane!"

I felt her hands grip themselves more tightly into my clothes. She was getting more and more serious, almost as if she was preparing for something massive.

"Every day, every night, my thoughts turned to you!" she continued, staining my shirt with her tears of confession. "I didn't want to just leave you and everyone behind. I wanted to take you all with me, so that we could restore the House of Valens as a team, like we were so used to being..."

"Chloe..."

"But..." she sniffled. "This was something I had to do on my own. I realized that shortly after I left. I had to do this, for my mother and father, and to show everyone that their faith and trust in the Valens household could be restored and regained."

"I understand."

"And even after all of that...I couldn't stop thinking about you."

Call it impulse, but my arms had started to wrap her in my embrace. I was determined to comfort her, to console her, so I could see her smile again.

"Chloe," I said, "I'm not mad. We're all happy to see you again. But..."

"But...?"

"I...I've been doing a lot of thinking...about you."

She shifted so that her eyes met with mine, gazing deeply into them with tear-stained orbs.

"Whether I'm awake, or when I'm sleeping...you're always there, in my head. Every time I think about you, I feel...happy. Warm. But when I think of the next day that I won't be able to see you, I feel sad and lonely. Even though I know I have a group of friends who are always around to help me, you're the one I'm always thinking of. Without you, I...I feel empty."

"Senel..."

"I think..." I swallowed hard, knowing that I wouldn't be able to go back, not after confessing my feelings the way I did.

"I think I'm in love with you, Chloe."

There was a long silence between us, as if the words I spoke had suddenly managed to stop the passage of time. We were alone in this wide, empty world, free of the sounds of others around us. At this time, at this place, it was only the two of us.

"Senel..."

"Y...Yeah?"

I felt her breath lightly brush against my flesh as her lips started to approach mine. Naturally, I was inexperienced, seeing as Stella and I have only shared a few kisses before, but I wasn't about to let my true feelings go unnoticed. I was going to take this chance. I pressed my lips against hers, giving in to her sweet, loving taste. After no more than ten seconds of sharing a kiss, we broke apart, tears streaming down her face.

"I've been in love with you for more than two years," she admitted.

"You...have?"

She nodded with a smile, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Yes. I have. I tried what I could to get you to understand...but I guess it didn't work as well I thought it would."

"S-Sorry..." I said, ashamed. "Everyone has told me I'm a little dense."

"Just a little bit," she played.

We laughed together once again, and I felt my heart flutter rapidly inside of my chest.

"So...what does this mean for us, Chloe?"

She smiled warmly at me, intertwining our hands together. "It means that, if you want...we can be together."

"But, what about Werites Beacon? What about all of our friends?"

"I know," she replied. "I haven't forgotten about them. I've missed all of you dearly since we went our separate ways, and as much as I'd love to tell you all to just live here in Gadoria, I know that won't be happening. At least, Will, Shirley and Jay won't be staying."

"Yeah, you're right," I replied. "So...what do we do?"

"I'm not going to force you to stay here with me, Senel," she continued. "I'm not evil, you know. I want you to take the time to think about what you really want to do. If you stay here with me, you'll be leaving the Legacy behind. But I can make sure that you're taken care of while you stay here."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I can make you the Captain of the Knights of Valens."

"M-Me? Captain?"

She nodded with a smile. "That's right. I know it's tough, Senel, and I really don't want you to think I'm forcing you to stay with me. I don't want you to think there's some kind of prerequisite for us to be together. I just..." She bit her lip slightly. "I just want you to be happy."

I sighed slightly, hugging the woman I loved so tightly, I was scared to let go.

"I'm happy when I'm with you," I proclaimed. "That's how it is. I...I just need some time to tell everyone else."

"You mean..." Her eyes were as wide as ovals.

"Yeah. I'm gonna stay here, with you. I just need some time to prepare, and to tell everyone else I'll be staying behind after the party."

"Senel..." She gave herself further into my embrace, closing her eyes with a warm smile across her face, enjoying the moment we shared.

"Thank you. Thank you so much..."

"Chloe?"

She shifted her head upwards, looking into my eyes. "Yes?"

"...I never thought you could be this open with your feelings. It's a side of you that...I really like."

She giggled with joy. "It's only because I've finally let go of my pain. I've realized that I'd much rather be happy living for the future, rather than being miserable and stern because of my past."

"So...you've finally put it all behind you."

"Yes. This, I can say for certain."

I cupper her cheek with my hand, feeling the warmth of her creamy skin.

"Then let's greet the future. Together."

"Senel..."

"I'll be here for you, through all of our future struggles. We'll get through it all together."

Her smile only continued to shine brightly on her face, and only moments afterwards, we shared yet another kiss, this time, more passionate and more expressive. Her arms had begun to massage my neck, and my hands had placed themselves gently on her hips. We were entranced into our kiss, being only the second we had shared with one another. We had finally confessed our feelings for each other, each returning their feelings in a way we only dreamed of. Now, we would be together, ready to face the future as a couple.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.