The Drive of Desperation
The sun was out fully now, warming everyone who was gathered in the courtyard of the palace for the wedding meal. At the top of the yard, by the doors was a long table where six people sat. Sephiroth the first on the left, with Aerith next and then Rufus, Tifa sat next to her brother with Cloud on her right and finally Vincent on the end.
The crowds were cheering as two men started acting out a fight scene. In fact everyone was cheering except Aerith who kept glancing at the way Tifa was feeding Cloud and the way that they were looking at each other. Soon the act finished and everyone clapped. Aerith snapped out of her stare and clapped too, brushing her hair from her face.
She glanced once more, this time catching Tifa's eye. She saw the Princess flinch under the Queen's icy gaze before she turned away. Aerith felt guilty for taking her anger out on Tifa. It wasn't the Princess' fault that Cloud had fallen for her.
Sephiroth stood up and held up a hand for silence. Immediately, the crowds ceased their cheering and the actors moved out of the spotlight.
"This display mirrors Midgar fighting at its best." He explained, grinning at the King.
"Those of us who were privileged enough to travel with King Rufus to the Northern Continent witnessed an incredible use of weaponry and extraordinary skill from him that could only be rivalled by that of the beautiful Queen Aerith here." He cried out.
Aerith forced a smile as clapping arose from the crowds. Rufus grinned admiringly at her but she did all she could to avoid his gaze without being too suspicious. After a moment, Sephiroth continued.
"I doubt anyone could fight in the same way as King Rufus and certainly nobody could defeat Aerith but him."
"Cloud could!" Tifa voiced suddenly. Cloud's eyes widened slightly for a second but quickly gave a slight smile as silence ensued. Aerith leaned across the table so that they held eye contact.
"But Cloud didn't." She said simply before raising an eyebrow.
"Would he like to try?" She asked, watching him as he glanced at Rufus who nodded slightly.
Nobody noticed as Sephiroth glared as she removed her crown and the two stood up.
"What weapons will we use?" He asked politely. Aerith stared at him with a small smile as she replied.
"Two weapons forged from the same ore and have never been crossed."
Cloud's eyes widened, knowing that the "ore" she was referring two was the meteor at which they had first met.
"Your sword," She continued in order to elaborate to everyone else. She moved quickly, grabbing a long silver rod.
"Against my rod."
After a moment, he nodded and took his sword. The two walked around the table and into the middle of the courtyard, their eyes never leaving each other. Aerith smiled. Surely when he beat her, he would remember everything.
The two stood opposite each other, weapons at the ready. Aerith brought her rod across her chest defensively as they continued waiting for one to move.
Fed up, Aerith moved first. Cloud immediately blocked it, and then the attack she aimed at his left leg. Repeatedly, they moved, blocking and attacking with neither one nearly ready to break.
As Aerith moved once more, Cloud used all his strength to bring his sword down, snapping her weapon in half. Rufus flinched slightly and Sephiroth sucked the air through his teeth. Aerith stared at the parts of her weapon that she held in both hands but within a second; she had blocked Cloud's next attack.
Cloud sidestepped and brought his sword once more towards her. This time, she couldn't block it in time and the edge of his blade was by her shoulder. In one quick swing, he could have it at her throat and win the battle. However, he glanced at Rufus, knowing that he couldn't publicly beat Aerith without arousing suspicion.
Aerith whacked the sword away from her before he could move it any further. Her anger fuelled her into landing a series of blows onto him before ducking down and hitting the back of his leg. He yelped in pain, falling to his knees as she grabbed his sword and in the blink of an eye, held it against his throat.
If she had not loved him, she would have killed him for what he had done. She knew that he had planned to lose.
His enchanting blue eyes looked up at her slowly and she found herself lowering the sword. Surely he only lost because he wanted to show how sorry he was for forgetting her and now, he remembered her. Surely that look in his eyes meant something.
"Thank you." He mumbled, bowing his head slightly. "For helping me learn my limits." With a cold frown, she threw the sword to the ground with a clatter and stormed away, holding back her tears as she finally accepted the truth:
Cloud didn't love her anymore.
She lay on the double bed of Rufus' room, finding that she did not want to be around Cloud at all any longer. She thought longingly back to when they had first met and their promises to each other, and their relationship now. How could he have moved on within a couple of months?
Her thoughts were distracted as she heard the door and saw Rufus walking in the room, throwing a small smile her way. She tensed slightly at the sight of him, knowing exactly why he was directing that look to her. In an attempt to distract him, she frowned.
"He let me win." She hissed, causing Rufus to glance at her as he removed his shoes. He shook his head at her inability to let things go and slowly sat on her bed.
"He probably had bad luck." He insisted. She glared at him.
"I have fought often enough to know a honest defeat and a fair victory." She snapped. He sighed.
"He probably didn't want to go to his wedding bed covered in bruises." He replied. Aerith's eyes turned colder at the words. She didn't want to think about the fact that right now, he was saying promises to Tifa that he had once said to her. Would he break Tifa's heart eventually too?
"You know, you're the only woman that I have ever wanted." Rufus explained, breaking her thoughts again. Her eyes moved to him.
"And you have me." She answered as his hand moved towards her chest.
Just as it was about to rest there, she grabbed his hand with all her strength. Rufus gasped and tried to remove it from her grip as she sat up.
"Or do you?" She asked teasingly.
With a simple movement, she had flipped herself over and flung Rufus off the bed. He landed on the floor, toppling into the chest of drawers that sat in the corner. Aerith rose to her knees with a smirk.
"Can the man who defeated me not survive his own wedding night?" She questioned with a raised brow. Rufus sat up, rubbing his head. He gave a small laugh as he got to his feet.
"Not tonight dear." He begged. "I've had far too much to drink to endure much playful banter."
"The man who defeated me hadn't been drinking." She replied casually.
"What?" Rufus answered with a hint of panic. Aerith tilted her head to the side.
"Then again, maybe you had. A magic potion to give you strength, perhaps?"
"Aerith," He began but she stood up, interrupting him.
"Well, I'll let you in on a little secret." She whispered.
"My strength, is a gift from the God's and it's found in this belt." Rufus glanced at the thin brown belt that she wore on all her outfits, sitting nicely on her hips and hugging her waist.
"Once you've removed it," She continued. "You will find a yielding maiden in your arms."
Almost as soon as she had finished that sentence, Rufus went in for the attack again, trying to reach the belt. Again, she grabbed his hand and with one simple push, had him on the floor.
She moved quickly, turning him over onto his back and sitting on top of him. She grabbed her hair ribbon that was sitting on the cabinet. She bound his hands and feet together tightly, despite his struggling. She smirked as she got up and went to the bed.
"Are you crazy?" He yelled.
"Darling," She said sweetly as he continued to kick about. "I'm trying to sleep." She sighed. With that said, she threw the covers over her head and proceeded to ignore him as she lost herself to dreams of the days before all this.
Rufus awoke with a sore cheek and blinked as he found himself on the floor, his hands and feet tied together. He turned his head and saw Aerith finishing braiding her hair with a different ribbon.
"Aerith!" He cried. She made no movements to show that she had heard him as she fixed her bangs on her face.
"Please don't let the maids see me like this!" He begged. "Please I'm sorry Aerith! I won't let it happen again!"
Aerith turned to him and silently cut the ribbon that bound him.
"Let that be a lesson to you," She warned coldly. "I may be captive in this hell, but I will never be your wife!" She walked out of the room in anger.
She was Cloud's and only Cloud's, even if he was in denial; she would love him, forever. As she had said she would.
