I know it too so long but the intense work lately i have helped to a lack of time to write. I'm not sure about this chapter, anyway, the chapter is here. Please, in the end do tell what you think of this chapter. Thank you...

Thought/Flashback/Dream

Chapter 25

"Is that what you wish?" Elissa looked at him, a big smile in her face.

"Yes"

No!, his mind screamed but there was nothing he could do.

Elmont tried to approach her but she stepped out of his grasp and with a smile, her hand reached for someone else, someone hiding in the shadows.

"She is mine..." Elmont's eyes turned wide as he saw Roderick touch her face, his hand traveling to her neck as she closed her eyes.

"Wait! You can't…"

"Leave…" Roderick's face approached hers...

"Wait!" He scream as someone pulled him away from them "wait..." his voice never reached his hears, the door closed but he still had seen their bodies closed.

His eyes snapped open and he passed a trembling hand over his sweat-drenched forehead. His blue-green eyes flickered across the room and his right hand shot out to feel the space on the bed beside him. As he grabbed the fabric of the sheets anger began to fill him, and he groan out loud in his desperation. He didn't know how he came to be in his quarters, the last thing he remembered from the previous night was Crawe and his worried expression.

Why?

Elmont closed his eyes tight and took a trembling breath to stay calm.

Why?

First, he pushed himself upward, slowly, but his head spin with residual intoxication and he slumped in to the mattress. He inhaled and the scent of her perfume left the soft sheet, Elmont shifted and fingers run delicately through his hair and he let out a contented sigh. When he looked at his left, she was there. With a soft smile in her face, her beautiful eyes staring at him.

Elmont smiled, a little but when she smiled to him a content smile appeared in his face and he couldn't stop felling happy, safe, loved and he forgot everything.

"Elissa…" her hand travelled to his chest and Elmont couldn't contain a gasp, her cold hand against his hot skin. He closed his eyes, as he felt her lips against his jaw.

"Tell me how much you love me…" her voice low, was filled with desire.

He opened his eyes, looking at hers but when he blinked, she was not there and he realized he was alone.

Elissa.

Every time he tried to talk to her, Elissa just stepped away, saying that she had important things to do and, he noticed that she never looked at him… And he didn't understand nor did he wanted too, the only thing he wished was to feel her warm lips against his, he wished to say again how much he loved her, to hold her against his body... He just did not believe in her words, he knew she had to been lying. But why was she doing this? Why was Elissa pushing him away? What did Roderick said to her?

Why?

Never did he felt so much pain as he did now… What could he do to change everything? Maybe, just maybe he never should have fallen in love… Not with Elissa, like she had said to him, there was difficulties they could not overcome… Maybe this was for the best…

No…

"I love you Elissa…," he whispered.

It hurt too much to see her with Roderick, as she walk around the garden, her eyes cast down, and hands in front of her, listening what he said.

How much time had passed since that day? How much time?

Did she forgot Roderick was the one who tried to kill her?

As he began, slowly, putting his armour, he could not find any reasons why was she doing this. Why?

He stepped out of the room, his head spinning.

It was all her doing, his pain, she had lied to him. She had played with his heart.

"I'm engaged and he has a duty!"

"You never wanted to marry Roderick, why do you say that now? Elmont has feelings for you and you for him. Therefore, you have avoided him. You are going to let Roderick sow your and Elmont unhappiness?"

Elissa stared to Isabelle with panicked.

What could she do?

A sob came out of her mouth.

Roderick had threatened to kill Elmont! Even Isabelle. She would be pleased for saving his life. He was her guardian and was there that he should stay even if her whole body and heart desired, and beg for him.

"What can I do? I love him so much. Please Isabelle, help me."

Isabelle embraced her sister, her fingers running in her black hair, just as Elissa had done so many times to her, when their mother died. She didn't know what could she do to help her sister, but she wanted to kill Roderick for all the pain he was inflicting on her sister and Elmont.

"Don't cry…" Elissa let the tears slip through her eyes, her body shaking with the force of her sadness.

Elissa was already running a big risk by speaking openly with Isabelle; however, she could not keep a secret. After all, it was good to share the agony with someone, feel the loving embrace of her sister, even though she couldn't do anything. The insistence of Isabelle fed the greatest secret of Elissa.

"Is that what you wish, Elmont?"

"Yes, Sire. Someone must take care of this."

"You are needed here. Did you forgot the attempt of assassination to my daughter's life?

"I did not, Sire, but there's nothing more I can do. Every investigation took me to a dead-end. No one seemed to know nothing of the assassin, no one… I tried to find anything but there was..."

"I know what you did but why now."

"I have my reasons Sire, and I'm only asking"

"And I will let you go but first my daughter's safety."

"Of course, I already took care of that. I will leave Crawe, my most trusted man in charge of her protection as well yours and Princess Isabelle. I would never leave without see to it."

"Very well, you will leave Albion in two days."

"Two days?" Elmont inquired carefully, knowing he couldn't overstepped his place.

"Yes. Elmont, remember you have to stop them from crossing the border; I need you to be careful as I need you to came back safe. Don't forget you can't die, you are needed here and I don't know what I would say to Elissa and Isabelle if you died." Elmont nodded and the King smiled. "You are a great man did know? I'm so proud to have you in my command" Elmont looked to the king's eyes and surprised appeared in his face.

"Thank you, Sire" The King smile to him.

"You may go." When Elmont turned around to step out of the office his majesty voice stopped him "Elmont, don't forget her lessons."

Elissa was standing on the fields of the training grounds, a sword in her hand. Lightweight but strong steel that still felt too heavy for her. Elmont looked at her. She smiled to herself, she was more than ready to start and this time she would show how much she had changed.

They were having her lessons in swords and she had managed to persuade her father to let her learn and to Elmont teach her all that he knew about swords fighting and archery. He had been a dedicated teacher, if not tough and rather severe sometimes but now it was different; he was different as was she since the last time they had been in the same place. He lifted his own sword and they started a simple duelling exercise. Metals clashed and clanged and Elissa always felt exhausted after such a strenuous exercise, and that was one of the reasons she always preferred the bow.

"Come on!" He cried out. "You have to lift it higher!" He said softly.

"I can't…" she whispered but he heard and his eyes seemed to have change colour. He became angry.

"You can. Faster My Lady! Harder!" He pulled her closer to his body and Elissa gasp when she felt his hand close to her breast, resting against her side. He lightly traced his fingertips then Elmont pressed his sword against her stomach. Elissa closed her eyes and shuddered at his touch, "Don't think too much. Now you are dead" Elissa pushed herself away from him raising her sword higher and hitting Elmont's sword hard. "You think you can do it, Princess? You think you can show you're better than most of the woman who only serves to please man and do what they say?" anger flashing across her face to his cruel and harsh words, his mouth was set in a hard line, but there was also a hint of amusement in his eyes that he was trying so hard to conceal.

"You don't mean that!" He didn't talk and she attacked him, sweat clinging to her tunic and the soft breeches she wore. Elissa spin, he dodged her attacked and the next, and the next, trying to tired her, then he grabbed her wrist spinning her around, her back against his chest.

"Of Course I don't mean it…" he whispered in her ear and Elissa closed her eyes tight and swallowed, finding it difficult to breathe, she dared not meet his gaze, "but unfortunately you now… Dead" his blade touching her throat.

Elissa grunt when he let her go, she spin to face him and attack him, again and again hoping he would let his guard down for only a moment to use it against him.

"Use your arms not your shoulders!" She was breathing heavily after a while.

"Wait…" she said breathless. She looked at him when she was finished speaking, and her breath caught in her throat. He was staring at her intently.

"You're not giving up are you?" He asked, his eyes narrowing and jaw clenched.

"I'm not..." Elissa cried out.

"Good because I don't like quitters." Elmont said, taking a step closer to her, "And no one will wait for you to catch your breath"

Elissa wielded her sword in her hand moving as fast as she could, dodging every blow and hitting Elmont's sword hard. He crossed the distance between them in one long stride and stood inches close to her face.

"Watch your surroundings," he said tenderly, she felt his breath against her neck and the heat of it made her skin prickle. "You may not be as big as a man but size does not matter!" Elmont told her again. She gulped, and said in quiet whisper,

"I have to be swift and deadly" Elissa felt him brush his lips on her exposed neck. His hand rested in her back, pulling her close to his body and sliding across the flat of her stomach, pulling her ever closer to him. "Elmont…" she whispered his name, and suddenly he was back. He sighed softly into her neck and pushed himself away from her, cursing. She could see the anger in his eyes, not for her but for himself, for showing weakness.

"Exactly, now move your feet" she moved before he attacked and managed to avoid his blow "Again… Again… Concentrate." she didn't move her feet, her mind struggling to push away the feel of his body close to her, and he managed to use his sword and swerve it around, he was quick, too quick for her and she felt to the ground, clenching to her arm as pain shot through her. Elmont took his sword and immediately aimed it at her throat.

"That Hurt…"

"I said to you that this wasn't a game."

"I know"

"Yield" he told her, his eyes gazing at hers.

"Never" Elissa told him.

Stubborn

"Then what you pretend to do, Princess?" Elissa looked at him, hurt appearing in her eyes but he didn't look away, he didn't say one word, Elmont just held the sword to her throat. And Elissa closed her eyes momentarily then, when she looked at him, his gaze softened, and she nearly crumbled beneath the warmth she found there and had to look away.

She tried to forget the look in his eyes.

So she raised her sword and Elissa was quick enough for him to be surprised, the blow in his sword made it fell to the ground.

He took a step back and Elissa got up, her eyes locked in his.

"Come one… Show me what you can do"

They have been moving and Elissa was exhausted but she would not give up, she didn't know how he could have such energy. Still she didn't find him dropping his guard down. He rested his hand against his beard, his fingers playing with it as he observe her. Training her was becoming difficult. She looked at him, her eyes sparkling with affection but he denied himself to believe in his fantasies. She was indeed a beautiful woman, her breath came hard and fast and he could remember exactly how it had felt, his hands against her soft skin, his lips finding hers as they move…

He shook his head.

"Princess, it's over for today…"

And the next days, he thought.

"No…"

"Stop being stubborn" he said gently. "The lesson it's over for today" he turned his back to her.

Elissa closed her eyes tight, nothing could prepare her for the intense pain she felt. She was glad that they were alone and he wasn't looking at her; she wanted to awake to know that it was all a dream. But how could she think that he would treat her differently? He was suffering as much as she was and she couldn't denied it. He wanted to leave… She began to tremble when she realized what that meant: He didn't love her.

And she didn't judge him for wanting to leave. Elissa knew, knew that he wanted to leave, and that hurt.

Tears welled in her eyes and sobs threaten once again to claim her.

Why did He wanted to leave? She wanted to hear from his mouth. Why couldn't it have been her instead?

"Why?" Elissa lifted her gaze, wiping her eyes and did her best to not let him see her desperate.

"What?"

"Father told me you intent to leave, tell me why?"

"There are things that need to be done" he simply said, his voice soft like she wished to hear again, he turn to look at her, his eyes sad and she knew, knew the truth.

"I'm sorry… I never meant to cause pain in you…" Why did it have to turn out this way? You were right, Elmont, about everything, Elissa thought, lacking the courage to say it, referring to what he had said earlier, regarding their love.

"Elissa, there are no need for regrets. I was wrong in what I had believed before. The love I thought we shared was nothing more than a dream, an illusion to me. I should had seen it; I shouldn't have fallen for you… However, what happened has happened, and most likely, for the better, even if we could avoid all the pain I am feeling right now. But I did love you, I still do and know this I will never stop loving you. Excuse me" He nodded in her direction and turned away, leaving her alone.

Elissa sat down in the grass; the tears relentlessly ran down her cheeks.

"I still love you; I will never stop loving you…" Sweet memories brought more tears to Elissa's eyes as she remembered everything.