What have I done? Now I must seem utterly pathetic. He's a Prince, an elfish prince at that. I am just one human girl, a member of the race that has destroyed his entire culture. I can't even look at him now. What was I thinking? Nuada could never love me. I turned my face away and started to walk back into the cave looking for a place to crawl into and die. I can't stop the tears now. They cloud my vision as I pull off my shoes and jacket to curl up in the blankets. I let the sobs take over and squeeze my eyes shut tight.

I hear the fire crackle as Nuada throws in more of the dry wood he had collected in the cave. I could hear the rain, it's wasn't just sprinkling anymore it was torrential. I felt him sit down on the blankets next to me and I turned my tear stained face over to look at him with the last ounce of courage I had left, I needed to know what he was thinking. His lips were turned up into the brightest smile I have ever seen. I didn't breathe as he once again reached out and tucked my damp hair behind my ear letting his hand linger on my cheek.

"When I, ahem, met you in that hallway that day I tried to convince myself to kill you. I tried to tell myself that you were just like the rest of those proud, empty, hollow beings that destroyed my world and that I should want you dead but something in your eyes stopped me. I think I fell in love with the enemy that day."

I thought my heart would explode then and I would die a happy girl. I managed to speak but my voice made me sound like a baby mouse with the hiccups.

"So you remember me?"

He didn't say anything then; he just tilted my head up towards his and searched my eyes with his golden ones for permission.