CHAPTER 3:1

"Hey!"

He closed the door behind him and took her hand in his. Her beautiful eyes sparkled in the moonlight and he couldn't hold back a grin.

"You look like goddess," he whispered and touched her cheek.

She chuckled lightly and gave him a foxy smile.

"Like the goddess of the moon and stars, or maybe the night itself?" she wondered and trailed her finger down his chest, stopping at the waistband of his dark pants. "Or am I maybe the goddess of beating you in every single fight?"

He laughed and lowered his face to hers.

"The goddess of my heart," he answered and gave her a soft kiss. "And you still don't think that you're better than me, huh? I'm going easy on you."

She frowned and opened her mouth to protest, but he quickly silenced her with another touch of his lips. He held her close to him – so close that it almost hurt – because he knew what waited him and it broke his heart, utterly and completely. In his back pocket were a small syringe and a pill. At the end of this night, all of this would be nothing but a dream.

But he would make it worth every minute; every damned minute he had left with her.

"Why do you look so concerned?"

He shook his head. Please, please, whatever god or gods there might be; please give me strength to do this.

"It's alright, I'm just a bit nervous," he replied and closed his eyes. "I've fixed something special for you."

She raised her eyebrows and gave a surprised noise, intertwining her fingers with his.

"Go on, show the way," she said teasingly and smiled.

He gave her a quick kiss before leading her out of the room. Earlier that evening, he had ordered the servants to retire early and not walk in this corridor. They did of course not raise any objections but those he guessed would've stirred up trouble anyways, he had had a private talk with.

"Where are we going?" she whispered as they were walking. "You're not trying to set me up for a scare with your brother right? I mean, he's damn scary sometimes, don't you agree?"

He sighed but a grin inched the corner of his lips upwards. Nothing can bring me down this night, not even my brother.

"Don't complain; he has his moments." She rolled with her eyes at him and gave him a friendly punch.

"When he talks, yes," she answered and smiled. "Why is he always so silent?"

"Well," he started and rounded a corner. "He's having a tough time in the military, that's all. I don't think he likes it even half as much as we think he do."

She gripped his hand closer and sprinted forwards a couple of steps, so that she could look at him straight.

"Why doesn't he give it up?" she asked gently. "I reckon he would be a good wood chopper or chef; that man swings an axe like he was born with it."

"I don't think either of those jobs would suit him, to be honest," he replied with fake seriousness. "He has a secret dream job."

"Ooh, let me hear all about it!" she exclaimed and he hushed at her.

"Okay, okay, but promise not to tell anyone." He took a deep dramatic breath and met her expectant countenance. "He wants to be a singer."

Their combined laughter filled the halls but he didn't care if someone would listen. He didn't care if even the Raedsel Guardsmen would come running after him; what mattered was the most wonderful woman in the world and that she was his, if only to midnight.

"Now you're all that serious and gloomy again." She pulled in his arm and he stumbled after. "Come on; just show me what you got for me."

"It sounds like you already know what I've got planned for you," he said and took point. "Have you been spying on me again?"

"Of course not," she replied then paused. "But… it's not like I don't have a window in my room and that you were in complete vision of me the whole time."

He slapped his forehead and groaned.

"Fuck," he muttered and sighed. "Oh, well, well; why am I even surprised."

"Exactly."

They reached the balcony through a pair of double doors and a chilly summer breeze welcomed them. He had fixed a table and two chairs, together with some wine, fruit and bread. It hadn't been windy half an hour earlier when he had finished the preparations and realized now that the living candles where useless. Fortunately enough, the moon was shining brightly and lit exactly the place where they would sit. It was perfect.

"Wow, what a surprise!" She smiled slyly and approached the table. "Demacian wine; how did you get your hands on that here?"

He grinned back at her and helped her have a seat.

"I have a source," he answered. As he saw how she suddenly shivered, he took off his jacket and carefully put it on her shoulders.

"Thanks," she said and then pinched the bridge of her nose, her face grimacing in pain. "This headache is killing me."

"Ah, I checked it up with a close friend of mine; he told me to give you this," he replied and reached into his pocket. Here I go.

She lighted up as she swallowed the small pill.

"It already feels better."

Her gentle fingers gestured for him to pour up some wine and he obeyed, filling her glass to the half. She didn't even get to taste the expensive wine before she collapsed on the floor.

"Fiora!" he cried and sank down on his knees. "I'm so sorry—"

He had been told what would happen, but that didn't make him any more ready for the sudden convulsions of her slender body.

"D-D…"

She tried to say something but only a choking sound escaped from her throat.

"I had to do this, I'm so terribly sorry." The tears made it hard to see but he angrily rubbed them away and took hold of her shaking body. "If you hadn't taken that tablet, you would've died!"

"They forced me to; I had no choice, I swear! He didn't want me to be together with you, since the war is coming and he doesn't want me to be distracted." He clenched his teeth and stared deeply into her azure-blue eyes that were wide open in shock. "He poisoned you with some shit from Zaun and he gave me two choices: either to be with you and watch you die in a painful, slow way or give you the remedy and watch you from afar, being alive and healthy."

She tried once again to speak but no words came out and her eyelids were starting to get heavy. Now was the time to inject the shot.

"You won't remember any of this, any of me, us," he continued and plunged the needle into her forearm. "You will wake up in your room, all safe and sound, not being able to recall even the smallest of details."

She moaned loudly as the fluid in the syringe disappeared into her skin and tried to get away from him, but he held her closer.

"Forgive me, Fiora," he whispered and kissed her lips for the last time. He savored the warm, slightly salt taste of her and the hot feelings bubbling up in his chest. Their eyes locked and he pulled away to tell her what he had felt already the first day they had met, the first second they had seen each other.

"I lo—"

"How touching. Guards; take them away."

He woke up of his own scream. Someone knocked on the door and he guessed that it was a concerned summoner.

"Is everything alright?" The female summoner paused then opened the door. She blushed as he stumbled out of the bed in nothing but pants. "I-I'm so sorry, Draven, I shouldn't have entered."

He grimaced when seeing the light coming from the door and pulled back his hair.

"I'm not Draven."