Chapter Nine: The Silence of the Sound is Soon to Follow

Author's Note: Yay, fluffy romantic time! The series finale of LOST is a flipping Gainax Ending! UGH! At least I'm comforted by the fact that the FMA ending next month won't make me want to scream in frustration, unlike LOST!

"How many times do I have to explain this to you, you yogurt brain?" Raven said, pounding on the table.

"Want a taste?" Garfield jested.

"No I don't!" Raven said exasperated. "Didn't you hear what I just told you?"

"Yes, yes, I heard you," Garfield said. "You were showing me those Arabic numbers weren't you?"

"Yes, can you convert them from Roman Numerals?" she asked.

"I think so," he replied. "I is 1, II is 2, III is 3, IV is 4, V is 5, VI is 6, VII is 7, VIII is 8, IX is 9, and X is 10."

"Very good," Raven congratulated him. "You should get some rest."

"What time is it?" Garfield asked.

"Two-o'-clock," Raven replied. Garfield had received a clock as a gift from Richard, who had gone to Italy and purchased it as a present.

"Let's go outside," Garfield suggested.

They began walking through the garden, Garfield seemed abnormally quiet.

"Is something wrong, Garfield?" Raven asked.

"No, nothing's wrong," he replied.

"You're unusually quiet today," Raven observed.

"I see you noticed," he laughed.

"Raven, what do you want to do with your life?" he asked.

She frowned at the strange question; no one had ever really asked her that before.

"I'm not quite sure, if the Church would let me use my powers, I would use them to help people, but I can't," she sighed.

"Terra, she was gifted, like you. She had special powers. She could move the earth with her mind, and she saved my life when we first met," Garfield stopped for a moment.

"Is that all you see when you look at me?" Raven asked. "Just a reflection of Terra, the wife you lost?"

"No of course not," he insisted. "I see you, you're clever, quick witted, you truly care about me, not like these sycophants who have latched onto me like leeches. They'll suck me dry if I'm not careful. And you never lie to me. I find your honesty one of the things I love about you the most."

"I see…" she wasn't sure what to say or if she should say anything.

"What are these other things?" she was curious. Malchior had never bothered to really have a conversation with her, unless it concerned magic or talk of things that didn't interest her.

"The fact that you want to talk to me. That you want to know who I am and don't want my friendship for anything that it can bring you, politically or financially. And I feel like I can talk to you about anything."

Garfield laughed. "You must find these things rather silly."

"No Garfield, I don't find it silly at all," Raven told him. "You're the first person who hasn't ever been afraid of me. You accept me and you've never judged me or thought I was…"

"Evil?" he supplied.

"Yes," she whispered.

"Only the stupid or the blind would stand there and call you evil," Gar said, holding her hand.

He kissed her sweetly and she embraced him. She stumbled against him and lost her balance. He tumbled to the ground with her and she landed on top of him. He noticed their predicament and chuckled, seemingly amused by the situation.

"Garfield, you shouldn't be out here with me like this," Raven warned. He was beneath her. He was smiling up at her. Gar pulled her mouth down to his.

"What could possibly be wrong with me showing you affection?" he asked, still kissing her.

"This won't look good for you, I'm not your wife for one and for another, all the peasants hate me!" Raven hissed in his ear.

"Must you always worry Rae?" Gar asked, pulling away.

"Your rashness will cause nothing but trouble," Raven warned. "This is a very compromising position we're in*!"

"I'll deal with it when the time comes," he reassured her.

Raven got to her feet and pulled him up. He gave her a smile and led her away, back into the town. He thought that he would find Victor and Richard and they would all spend some time together. They had all welcomed Raven as their friend and she became close to all of them.

Little did Garfield know that a peasant, an apple farmer had seen them together with Raven on top of Garfield as they kissed. He was angry; all the peasantry knew of Lord Malchior's cruelty and most had experienced it.

He was insulted that the wife of the tyrant was the one who held their King's attention. They had been furious when they had learned that she was his tutor and that he had freed her from the servitude they thought she deserved.

But to see their master publicly displaying affections for her, with her on top of him was utterly despicable. He decided to report it to the local church. Surely Lord Garfield had fallen under the witch's spell and the church would help Garfield be rid of her evil sorcery.

"What did you say they were doing?" the Father asked, an eager look in his eye.

"They were kissing, Lord Garfield and the witch Raven," the peasant replied, truly mortified. "She was on top of him."

"Could you tell what the nature of their activities were?" the Father asked.

"I could not see, I am sure I would not want to see," the peasant said.

"So they could have been naked for all you know," the Father said, an evil thought entered his head. He despised the fact that Garfield was so fond of Malchior's widow and the fact that she apparently returned his affections. How dare he spit in the faces of all the peasants he swore to defend by falling in love with that evil witch!

"The little harlot, how dare she seduce our king!" the Father raged. "Incite your fellow peasants against Lord Garfield. Let him know that God does not tolerate such behavior!"

Richard was the first to notice that something was terribly wrong. There was a crowd of about twenty peasants. They were armed with pitchforks and knives and axes.

"What's the matter?" Garfield asked calmly. Richard put his hand on his sword.

"We saw you," a peasant shouted, "with her!"

"Who I keep company with shouldn't bother you," Garfield said warily.

"She was on top of you, seducing you, we will not stand for it anymore, we will break this witch's curse on you by killing her ourselves since you refuse to!"

Garfield immediately, moved himself between Raven and the crowd. Richard and Victor were shoving them back, trying to keep the angry mob away from their friend.

"Raven is not evil, just listen to me—" Garfield was speaking loudly, trying to be heard over the crowd.

Suddenly, a peasant stepped forward; he had a bow in his hand.

"Death to the tyrant!" he shouted.

None of them actually saw the arrow hit Garfield, they just saw him get knocked off his feet and hit the ground hard.

Richard moved between the enraged crowd and Raven. He began blowing on a horn, summoning other knights to his aid. Victor spotted the man who had tried to assassinate Garfield and he quickly removed a knife and hurled it into the man's chest. He dropped dead instantly. Gar lay on the ground, bleeding from his shoulder. She could see the arrow and wanted to help him, but the crowd was trying to get to her and Richard was trying to get to Garfield while Victor was trying to hold the mob at bay.

"Raven, get back!" Victor ordered. "Stay behind me! We're getting you out of here!"

"Garfield!" she called out to him. "Garfield!"

Victor helped Raven up onto his horse and they began riding back to the castle. He beat angry peasants off and tried his best not to hurt them.

"What about Garfield?" Raven asked; her voice full of fear.

"Richard will take care of him," Victor reassured her. "Don't worry about him. Richard will get him out. He always does."

Garfield's vision began to blur. There was excruciating pain in his right shoulder. Someone had shot him. It was very painful. He wondered if he was going to bleed out, just like his wife Terra had.

His vision began to fade when he felt himself being lifted up. He recognized the helmet. It was Richard.

You came for me, just like always, Gar thought.

Richard carried him away on horseback as the knights he had summoned subdued the angry peasants.

Despite this incident, Garfield couldn't help but feel a sense of happiness. It had been six years since he'd fallen in love with a woman. He was grateful to Terra; she had shown him what it truly meant to love someone else.

He had never really believed it was possible, until she'd come into his life.

"Come on, Terra, come on!" Garfield beckoned his female companion. Terra had a nervous expression on her face. He had fireworks in one hand, and a candle in the other.

"This is going to be exciting!" he was giddy.

"Garfield Logan, you're going to shoot off fireworks you stole from the stockpile that were purposely for the wedding!"

"It's not like Lord Malchior is going to care," Garfield laughed. He had taken a candle with him and started lighting them up. He jumped away and watched them go up into the sky. The crowd started cheering, not knowing that they weren't even supposed to go off yet. Then suddenly, the sky exploded in an array of very bright, beautiful colors.

"It's beautiful here," Terra said, staring out from a spot on the bridge, as the fireworks were being shot up into the sky.

"Yes, it is," Garfield agreed.

"Why didn't you congratulate the bride and groom?" Terra asked.

"I've never actually met His Majesty or the Queen, nor do I wish to for that matter," Garfield replied. "I'm just a lowly soldier. A life on the battlefield, that's my life. Not extravagant feasts and wine and women."

"Is that all you want your life to be, just going to war?" Terra asked.

"The love of battle is the food that a knight lives on," Garfield smiled. "Honor and glory. That suits me fine."

"But you can't live on those things for the rest of your life," Terra observed.

"No, of course not," Garfield looked at her.

"What about you?" he asked. "You are the Princess of Markovia, surely, your parents have arranged your marriage to some noblemen."

"No, I left them a long time ago, they don't know where I am and there is no political advantage to marrying me. My brother Brion Markov is the crown prince."

"Nonsense, noble families are always looking for ways to increase their power, you would just be married off to some rich man."

"I ran away from home because I didn't want to get married for politics," Terra said, her eyes were set. "I want to get married for love."

"Love?" Garfield gave a derisive laugh. "Ah, is this the notion of "romantic love" that I've heard so much talk about lately?"

"Is there something wrong with it?" Terra seemed irritable.

"No, it's just, I don't think it can really be done," Gar told her.

"Why are you so skeptical?" she asked. "Look at Richard and Kory, they have gotten married!"

"They've always been fond of each other," Garfield explained. "It's merely a coincidence, a fluke that they've married."

"Oh good grief Garfield, listen to yourself!" Terra was exasperated. "You act as if it's impossible for you to love anyone besides yourself."

"It's not that," Garfield protested. "It's just, all these things you keep talking about, I don't really understand them."

"Then I'll make you understand," Terra said simply.

"How?" he asked, thoroughly puzzled.

"Like this," Terra leaned forward and kissed him.

Garfield felt as if the whole world stopped. This feeling, this new, wonderful, exquisite feeling, began to invade him like an army besieging a castle. He'd heard talk about "falling in love" and how wonderful it was, but this was beyond him.

His heart was pounding. What was he supposed to do? His mouth began to mimic hers, gently moving across her lips. He felt…so happy. He hadn't felt this way since his childhood, before his parents had drowned, managing to push him to safety before they were swept away in a river in some distant country.

They had been there as healers, and doctors. They had even managed to save him after he had come down with the Plague; he had barely managed to survive.

He was very fond of Terra, they had been friends for a long time, but he had never seen themselves as anything more than that, considering her royal heritage.

He was rather skeptical about life; perhaps the fact that he knew life was short. He didn't believe the strange ideas that the religious minds spouted on about. That people had dog heads and existed*. That people thought the moon was being attacked by monsters every so often, or that the eclipse in the heavens was a harbinger of doom. He was smarter than that.

He felt his arms slipping around her waist. He pulled away from her and gave her a nervous smile. "That was…interesting."

"You're such a skeptic aren't you Garfield?" Terra asked. "I wonder how I'm going to get it through your thick skull."

"What?" he asked.

"That I've fallen in love with you," she said.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yes, Garfield. I have," Terra said.

"It doesn't sound so bad," he said. "This romantic love that you always talk about. It's rather fascinating. But I still don't understand it."

"Don't worry, Gar," she told him. "You're not supposed to."

Garfield moved forward and pulled her close, he pressed his mouth to hers. Maybe being in love wasn't such a bad thing after all.

Raven saw Richard dismounting his horse in the courtyard, there was something on the back of it. She realized it was Garfield.

"Is he still alive?" she asked.

"Yes, Victor brought Kori here didn't he?" Richard asked.

"Yes, she is," Victor said. They moved him to a table Kori had prepared. A squire hastily removed Garfield's armor he'd been wearing, the arrow had gone between the chinks and into his shoulder.

The armor was off and blood leaked everywhere. Kori handed Raven a wooden cylinder.

"Put this in his mouth," she instructed.

"What for?" she asked.

"You will see," Kori replied.

Raven put the wooden cylinder near his mouth. "Bite down."

He did as he was told. He was breathing heavily.

Raven saw Kori take out a knife and she began cutting into his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" she asked, panicked.

"I am removing the arrow from his shoulder by cutting it out," Kori told her.

Garfield was screaming in terrible pain.

"Isn't there anything you can do for the pain?" Raven asked.

"I could give him some hemlock juice* but that could kill him," Kori warned. "You will just have to bear with the pain Garfield."

"We could give him some medicine," Another healer suggested.

Garfield ripped the cylinder out of his mouth. "No medicine! I refuse to take medicine; I won't have you shoving that cold metal thing up my butt!"

"That's how he receives medicine?" Raven asked, more than a little horrified.

"Yes, but I do try to give him everything else," Kori told her.

"Have you tried opium?" Raven asked.

"Does it work?" Kori asked.

"Yes," Raven replied. "I have seen a few surgeries."

"Anything else I need?" she asked.

"Some Ale and some silk thread," Raven replied. "I've…had to pull arrows out of Malchior more than once."

"But how did you learn that?" Kori asked.

"I've read the medical books of Albucasis, Rhazes, and Avenzoar*."

"The famous Arabian doctors, I see, I have not gotten to read those books, you must teach me everything you know."

"I will, after we get that out of him," Raven sorted through the materials they brought her.

They gave him the opium and he went to sleep. Kori then cut around the arrowhead and pulled it out. Raven used some ale to clean his wounds and then, since Kori had more experience sewing, she sewed his wound back together.

"I could use your help here, you could save thousands of lives," Kori smiled. "I am grateful. Please, watch him while I attend to my other patients."

"I will," Raven replied. She sat down beside Garfield. She placed her hand on his wounded shoulder.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos," she whispered softly, she was going to use her powers to heal him, no matter what the church or anyone said. She loved him too much to lose him.

Terra felt him staring at her as he willed her to return his gaze. He was overpowering and so full of passion as he willingly embraced his emotions that he hadn't understood before. She had never been so happy in her life.

They shared everything together, and in a month they were going to be married. It had been a year since they'd shared their first kiss. They'd become close and he wanted to marry her. He had tried to ask her parents' permission but when they found out he was not a nobleman and that there was no political advantage to the marriage, they refused.

They wanted to force her to marry someone else, but she had told them she'd made up her mind to marry Garfield. Then they disowned her and took her lands and estates she had possessed in Markovia. She didn't care though, she was going to marry Gar, and that was enough for her.

It was important for the parents of the bride and groom to give their permission, but since Garfield was an orphan and Terra was disowned, they decided to just get married anyway.

Terra looked up at her betrothed, a young 16 year old Garfield Logan. "Garfield, promise me something," she told him as he held her in his arms.

"Hmm? What is it Terra?" he asked.

"Promise me you'll wait until we're married to make love to me, all right?" she asked. He was a little surprised, sometimes; consummation was allowed to take place before the actual wedding so the request was strange.

"But we'll be married very soon," he murmured, "We could consummate our marriage now." He gave her a smile.

"I want to wait," she told him.

"Why?" he asked, curious.

"it will be special then, I want to call you my husband when we have sex. This is something I want. Will you do that for me?"

"I'd do anything for you Terra," he kissed her cheek sweetly. "I'll wait, just because you want me to."

He looked over at the bright hearth as the fire burned brighly in his estate. "This next month is going to kill me!"

"You'll survive," she reassured him. "Besides, the anticipation is what makes this worth it."

"How do you know?" he asked.

"Trust me, Garfield," she told him, a gleam in her bright blue eyes. "You'll be thanking me on our wedding night."

Garfield opened his eyes, waking from the wonderful dream he was having. There was pain in his right shoulder. It didn't seem as bad as before though. He looked over and saw Raven staring at him.

"You're awake," he heard Raven's voice tell him. "That's good."

"Did they hurt you?" He asked.

"No I'm fine," Raven replied.

"I'm going to find out who gathered that mob and who incited them against you. I won't let anyone hurt you, ever. I promise you that."

Raven considered his words and smiled. She took his hand in hers.

"Kori says you'll recover."

"My shoulder feels much better now," Garfield said.

"I'm glad of it; I used my powers to heal it."

"And they say that magic is evil," Garfield sighed. "You could do so much for people."

"But the church won't let me," Raven reminded him.

"Yes, that's true…" Garfield felt the realization of who had incited the mob against him. The Holy Father was very fond of condemning sinners, he loved to condemn Raven, despite the fact that he never mentioned her by name and despite the fact that she had never set foot inside the cathedral. Once he recovered, he was going to pay the Father a visit.

"Garfield," Raven looked over at him.

"What is it, Raven?" he asked.

"I love you," she said simply. She meant every word.

"I love you too," he told her. She moved over and kissed his forehead. He gave her a smile and drifted off to sleep.

It was a month before he had fully recovered and Garfield walked into the cathedral and saw the Father in prayer.

"Hello My Lord, have you come to confess your sins?" he asked. "Perhaps that you fornicated with that violet haired witch?"

Garfield stiffened and glared at him. "It was you. You told those peasants that Raven was sleeping with me."

"Yes, I wanted to warn you against these so-called emotions you have for her. She's cast a spell on you, and she's controlling you."

"Be silent! Don't forget who I am, Father, I can have you hanged!" Garfield warned.

"I have wealth and power and the backing of His Holiness, the Pope," the Father warned. "You cannot touch me."

"Don't bring His Holiness into this; the Pope couldn't care about this insignificant country."

"I'll not have any more of your lies and slander concerning myself or Raven. If you incite another riot or insurrection against me, I'll send you to Christ Jesus Himself and He'll hold you accountable for your actions. Do I make myself clear?"

The Father shrank and conceded. "As you wish, Your Majesty."

"Just as long as we're clear, Father," Garfield said. He turned and walked out of the cathedral.

He knew that his life would probably be a short one, and he didn't know how long he would live, but no matter how long it was, he wanted to share it with Raven. He made up his mind as he left; he was going to ask her to marry him.

* Hemlock juice was an anesthetic and it could kill the patient.

* These were all Arabic physicians who could actually perform surgeries and knew what they were doing back then.

* The person on top represents dominance, so a woman being on top of a man was a big no back then (although this has to do with the sex act more than anything. Wow, that's an awkward note.)

* They did believe in weird stuff like this.

People got married really young, like Romeo and Juliet in the play.

I know the cliché that all fanfic writers and romance writers are girls but in reality, the BEST romance I ever watched is the anime RomeoXJuliet and the half the English scripts are written by Taliesin Jaffe, who is most certainly a guy, and he's the head writer for the anime.