Sword Crossed Lovers
Author: jaymack33
Author's Note: So, if you did your homework you have, "Listen to your heart," by Roxette playing right about now. As I reiterate. If I made this movie that song would be in it right here. Is it wrong to hope this chapter makes you sad, because that's what this chapter was supposed to do? Don't worry this is still a Jiley story. So listen to your heart and read on.
Chapter 11: Home is Where the Heart Is
Jake finally pulled apart from his embrace with Miley. Miley had resisted a couple times, but Jake finally managed on his third attempt. He tried not to even look at her anymore, because her tears were hitting him really hard and he wasn't sure if he would leave if he looked at her even one more time.
Miley was very silent not even capable of looking at Jake directly after he had managed to pry out of their embrace. She didn't look up again until she heard the beating of horse hooves.
Jake rode his horse, but he had no choice as he turned to look back again. He just needed to see Miley's beautiful face one more time. And then after giving a bittersweet wave of his hand he was gone.
Miley stared emptily as she saw the dust of the hooves of her Prince riding away as far as he could go from her without using a boat.
Lilly had watched Miley from a distance and she ran up to her friend. "Miley?" She tried to look into Miley's tear strone eyes, as she brushed a couple away.
Miley felt so weak and useless. She felt even with the tears slipping by that if she were to look into her friend Lilly's eyes she would burst. She felt Lilly lifting her up by her chin.
She looked into Lilly's eyes and she burst. She cried hard into Lilly's shoulder. "It's OK Miley." "It wouldn't be the first or last time some guy hurt some girl." Miley didn't even want to bother correcting her. She didn't even have the strength. Hell, she didn't even know what the correction would be. He did hurt me, it's just I don't really know how he did it.
Later:
She stared at her plate. Without any thought or feeling. She just felt dead inside.
Her father put his hand on her shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it daughter?"
"No, father there is nothing to talk about."
"So, your not thinking about those last 2 draws you had with Jake?"
"I, well, ummm......quit being so nosey dad." "Since when do you care how I feel about anything?"
"Honey, look I may put the responsibilities of my Kingdom ahead of anything else, but whether I like it or not the best hope for the future of my Kingdom is still going to go through you."
Miley looked up at her father and she felt the tears flowing again. She looked away trying to hide her feelings. She had to be strong. Stronger than anybody else. She can't be weak. No, one is going to give a weak Princess a chance to do anything.
"It's about him then isn't it?"
"What?"
"Jake, the Prince of Wales, your last suitor!" "Look, honey I know you care for him, but you kind of brought that on yourself with this contest of yours."
"What the hell do you know father?" "Who asked you anyway?" "I can't keep eating if your going to trouble me with nonsensical questions." "I am not in love with him." "I'm not!" "So stop saying it!" "Stop thinking it and stop looking at me like I'm going to cry." "Because I do not cry ever!" "And even if I was, it is not for him." "So, so deal!" Miley leaves the table. "If your not going to let me eat in peace I have to go."
The King stared at her untouched plate. "What eating did I interrupt again?"
Miley went to her room. She picked up her sword and all of the sudden she just dropped it to the ground. She looked out the window yelling aimlessly. "You ruined it for me Jake!" "Do, you hear me?" "I only had one thing left." "I had my pride and I had my victories and then you had to come and show me that your, your my.....my equal!" "And what do you do Jake Ryancrest?" "You run away!"
"Miley?"
Miley jumped as once again Lilly had completely caught her off guard. "Here drink this warm tea." "It should calm your nerves." "Nerves, Lilly, what nerves?" "I mean the nerve of that guy to just leave." "To just kiss me and leave."
Lilly got very quiet. "He kissed you?" "And when were you going to mention that one to me?" "To your best friend, Miley!" "Lilly it wasn't like that." "We just kind of were having our normal repartee and we were kind of nose to nose and he gave me a little kiss." "It was no big deal."
"Then why did you just mention it like you cared two seconds ago?"
"Pff. Men, there all the same." "They just want someone warm to hold them and watch the babies and then they leave." "Who, needs that right?"
Lilly shook her head. She saw Miley about to speak again, but she put her hand forcefully over her mouth. "With all due respect my Princess." "I don't think you understand." "Listen to me now and listen to me good."
"I have watched him and I have watched you both up close and from a far." "I have seen the way he looks at you and I have seen the way you look at him." "I have seen the way you like to touch him and I have seen the way he likes to touch you." "I have never seen you happier and more full of life with the exception of when your around him."
Miley tried to push Lilly's hand off of her mouth, but she didn't really have the will to force the issue as Lilly continued. "Look Princess I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on what love is." "It is very rare." "And it usually is mostly more a rumor than a fact among the sexes." "But listen to me closely." "This isn't just because I'm your attendant, or under your father's ruler-ship." "This is coming from your friend." "Your best friend." "You love that man." "You love him with all of your heart." "But you don't know what that is yet do you?" "You fought him in combat and you made this impossible stupid rule about needing to lose a match." "Why can't you accept a man as your equal?" "You surely could accept a husband who was your equal couldn't you?" "That's really what the good Lord had intended in the first place, for both husband and wife to be equals." "But I'm afraid you keep letting your stupid pride get in the way." "Go, to him Miley." "He loves you too, but if you don't go to him." "I really am not interested in seeing you whining and crying." "Pretending your mad about something else when what you really want to do is be with him." "Go, to him and that is all I have got to say." Miley was going to open her mouth and disagree again, but she had nothing left to say, her heart wasn't really in it to protest any further.
Miley just lay her weary head upon her bed. She tossed and turned, but sleep would not claim her. She smiled as she saw Oliver with his little harp as he played for her. No, doubt Lilly again with her know it all interventions. But after a while she felt the weariness overwhelming her as the sound of the soft pleasant notes lulled her far away. Eventually she surrendered and drifted away into a deep slumber.
Kingdom of Wales
Jake finally had arrived wearily and exhausted from the long journey and his last meetings with Princess Millory. After arriving he shook hands and then embraced Nori who had pressed him on the Contest for details as word had not been spread back to the castle as of yet. But Jake waved him away as his main concern was to check on his father who had sunk into a coma as of the last message he had received. He closed the door and locked it in place to keep his privacy. He pulled up a chair and faced his fading father for the first time in a week.
He was going to literally put the treaty right in his father's hand, but he thought the better of it as he looked at his placid, wrinkled, insensate hand.
Jake grabbed the hand willing strength into it as he bared his soul as almost a confessional before a Priest before his coma ridden father.
"I did what you asked me to do, father." He whispered. "I got the treaty signed and the peace of our Kingdom shall remain even after your gone"....he choked out.
Still watching his father sleep Jake continued. "Hey, I even met a woman." "A very special and wonderful woman." "Who stole my heart away and then cut it to pieces with her sword." "But, I don't regret it." "I am a better person for having met her." "For even knowing such a special woman like that could even exist in this world."
"I fulfilled everything father." "I mean I didn't get the wife part yet." "But I was happy even if it was just for about a week." "But, I promise you father." "I promise I will find a wife and settle down and bring forth an heir." "And I hope." "And I only pray that I am half the father to my son or even my daughter as you were to me." Jake cried softly still over his ailing and unconscious father.
He arose. He dusted himself off and then he left the room where once again Nori was waiting for him. "So, Sire I take it she was just as I said she was?" Jake tried to dismiss him as he turned away from him. "I don't want to talk about it Nori." "Not, now!" "Well, will you at least tell me one thing?" "Who won?"
Jake didn't know how the old man did it but soon he was sitting with him in his royal table drinking ale from a flask and though he hesitated for a second he proceeded to spill his guts and pour out his soul to his old friend and teacher.
"We fought." "Both of us honorably." "It was the best match I have ever seen, or been in." "You truly, truly taught her well Nori." "Oh, I know, and I have the scars to prove it too with all of those years I taught her since she was a young lass." "You want to see the scars I can prove it?" Jake almost cracked a smile at the jest even as he shook his head in an emphatic no. "Keep the shirt on, I don't want to see that." "So, who won?" "Well I'll let the scribes and messengers handle the main details but for all intents and purposes we fought to stalemate in two separate draws." "But, who won?"
Jake choked on his emotions as he thought about what his friend was really asking him. "No, matter what Nori." "I didn't win." "I didn't win, because her heart is not here with me now." "I swear to you even if I had won even a single round in any of our matches and I brought her here right before you, if she didn't love me I didn't really win anything." "God, I left an opening and she took my heart from me Nori." "How, the hell am I going to get that back?" "Well, Sire even I will not pretend to know the heart of a woman even with all of my age and experience." "I had really hoped you would have won and brought her with you." "I really wanted to see her again." "She really is like a daughter to me." "And you Jake have a wonderful father." "Yes, he was a wonderful father," Jake stated emptily. "But, you are like a son to me too and I really thought you and Miley would have been a really good match together." "Yeah, my friend." "So, did I." "So, did I."
Jake looked out a window with his last words to his friend still echoing in his head. Willing just willing for a phantom Miley to just rush out of the horizon and into his arms and he could tell her how much he loved her and those walls, those stupid walls of hers would just come crashing down. He sighed as he looked at his own castle walls and he knocked on it with his fist. But, the walls still remain. He sighed again wearily as he headed by his father's side for sleep in the extra bed they had placed there for his return. Hoping his father would still be alive when he woke up in the morning.
--To Be Continued--
Author's Preview: Well I have some good news. It took me damn near forever. But I finally completed chapter 12. I wasn't too sure about that chapter so when I update it I really will be curious what you think. I mean it almost became a runoff story with parts of 13 and eventually I had to put my foot down and figure out how to end that sucker. Yes I apologize I did end this chapter on a cliffie too, but going back to chapter 12. The chapter 12 that took me longer to write than all of these 11 chapters combined. Well I took my time building up a bridge in chapter 12 to go over this cliffie. There is your chapter preview.