Summary: Rhea takes Haurchefant on a walk to her favorite vista past the Steel Vigil. The two spend the evening enjoying the view and their final moments together, dreaming of a future out of their reach where they could be together, before bidding farewell and putting to rest their feelings for each other once and for all.

Author's Note: WoL x Haurchefant | OC Work w/ MSQ References

"Might I beg a moment of your time, Lord Haurchefant? I was thinking we could take a walk and speak on the matters of the day?" Rhea inquired as she stepped up to his desk. Looking up from the letter he was reading, his face illuminated at the sight of her.

"I would love nothing else! Where shall we go on this little adventure of ours?" Haurchefant asked enthusiastically.

Rhea gave a soft laugh, "Just trust me." Her eyes sparkled with mirth and a touch of mischief as she gestured toward the door, then started walking towards it. Once outside, she closed her eyes and breathed in the smell of the sunny day as she waited for the Commander. When she heard his footsteps on the snow, she smiled and turned to look at him. "We go north. I've a place I'd like to go with you."

With a bow to her, he held out his arm like the gentleman he was. "Would my lady like my arm for the trip?"

Rhea stepped forward, slipping her arm in his as she came to stand beside him, her movement flawless from a lifetime of practice. "She most certainly would. Though, should we be attacked, whom will be protecting whom?" she asked with a playful smirk.

"Why both, good lady! I would not do such a grave disservice to you, of all people, to even imply you could not handle yourself. We shall fight side by side once more as we did at Witchdrop and it will be an epic adventure!" Haurchefant bellowed with a hearty, full laugh. It made Rhea laugh along with him as they began to head north along the snow-packed road.

As they walked, they spoke of everything and nothing. No topic was off limits and they ranged from the mundane - such as favorite flowers - to the philosophical about the Fury. In nearly everything they lined up perfectly, and where they did not, they were complementary to one another.

Soon enough they approached the Steel Vigil, and though usually filled with avi, a recent push on the vigil had their numbers nearly non-existent. Enough that it was easy for the pair of elezen to make their way along the edge and out to the overlook just beyond. Approaching the cliff, she looked out over the vista.

From their position, they had an entirely unobstructed view of Ishgard, standing proud in Abalathia's Spine. It was breathtaking and prior to the Steel Vigil being overrun by Dravanian's, had been Rhea's favorite spot outside the city. "The number of times I snuck out of my home to come here and look upon this sight. I have seen many wonders our land has to offer, glimpsed entire worlds beyond our own, and I have never seen a sight, to this day, more beautiful than our fair city from this spot," she said softly as she held onto his arm, looking out over Ishgard.

"'Tis quite beautiful, breathtaking even. Though I must confess, it is not the most beautiful sight I have ever seen," he turned to look down at her, giving her a soft, affectionate smile, "That honor I am looking upon now."

Rhea looked up at him and his words caught her breath within her chest and made her heart flutter as her cheeks warmed. "Haurchefant, I know not what to say..."

He shook his head, "There is nothing to say, Rhea." They held one another's gaze for a long moment, words not needed to pass what they were thinking to the other. The feelings they held, the care they felt, all passed silently between them. Yet another truth floated between them that they need not speak.

They both knew, despite how they felt, nothing could come of their feelings. She was Lady Rhea de Baphineaux, co-heir to the Baphineaux barony, and being the Warrior of Light only gave so much leeway when it came to the ways of their nation. He was an illegitimate child and prominent though he was, through deeds and by the family he was born to, for him to be with Rhea would spell ruin for her house societally. Rhea was allowed to marry beneath her, but only amongst the nobility and only to those with legitimate claims to their bloodline. Rhea knew Haurchefant was too honorable a man to allow her to risk such a thing.

It seemed their destiny was to be condemned to wonder what could be.

"I know. It's absurd and preposterous but I know. And it hurts like naught I've felt before," Rhea admitted to him. This was the first time they'd come even close to speaking openly of their affection for one another. "Still...I was moved beyond words at your reaction when I arrived."

Haurchefant nodded solemnly as she spoke then smirked to the last, "To say I was beside myself thinking of you walking into those dangers does not do what transpired justice. I loathed not being able to be at your side to apprehend Iceheart and slay Shiva. You know my mind, however, for I spoke it clearly enough before."

Rhea smiled up to him, then turned to face him more directly. "I do and it was flattering and wonderful to see. I had no idea you felt so passionately. We, as a people, are not wont to express ourselves so openly. Is it true it took a half dozen knights to restrain you from coming after me?" she asked with amusement.

Haurchefant chuckled and shuffled his feet a bit, bringing a hand up to his neck where he rubbed the back of it in embarrassment, "I may have needed some encouragement to remain behind, tormenting though as it was."

The elezen laughed and shook her head, "Well I am honored." Her features then grew serious as she looked up at him, "Haurchefant, might I beg a request from you?"

"Anything within my power to give is yours, my lady. You've but to ask," he informed her.

Rhea smiled, "May we just sit here and look at the view together with no thought of tomorrow or who we are? Just you, simply Haurchefant, and I, simply Rhea, enjoying the sun setting over the mountains and lighting up our fair city?"

Haurchefant's eyes sparkled with affection as he nodded, "Of course, my lady." Then, taking her hand, he led her to the perfect spot to sit. Neither caring about sitting in the snow, Haurchefant was the first to sit. As he did so, Rhea joined him, only this time she was quite close to him, curled up against his arm as her body contoured to the side of his.

For a moment he was stiff, societal conditioning telling him this sort of closeness unchaperoned was scandalous, especially with a woman of fine breeding. Then he realized where they were and he relaxed more, leaning into her lithe body as she laid her head on his shoulder and looked out over the city. Slowly his head leaned to rest atop hers.

"I don't want to talk right now," she said so softly, she was barely audible, "For all that we've got this night, don't let go. Just hold me…please?" He simply gave a nod in response against the top of her hair, breathing in the scent of her as he snaked his arm around her and drew her to lay her head against his chest.

For nearly an hour they sat there in silence, watching the sun set through the mountains, orange light playing on the architecture of their home. As dusk fell, he slowly lifted his head and turned to look at her. Though she had kept them warm with a constant stream of aether vibrating through them, even she wouldn't be able to keep up with the temperatures at night.

"We should return. It would not do for our hero to catch the cold," he said with a grin, unwinding from her as he stood up, then offered a hand down to help her up. Stiffly, she rose, then found herself standing quite close to him. Looking up into his eyes, they both remained there in the fading light. All too quickly Rhea found herself getting lost in his eyes and he in hers.

It was only when the sharp night breeze coursed over them, sending a chill down their spines, that they withdrew from one another and began to make their way back to Camp Dragonhead. Unlike the way to the overlook, the trip back was done in silence as she kept her arm entwined in his. With every step, they both knew their time together was running out. Once the night was over, they both knew they could not see each other again unless it was purely business. Hope for anything more had to die that night.

As Haurchefant delivered her to the aetheryte, he looked down into her eyes. Everything they had spoken, and had yet to speak to one another, passed between them and a fragile closure was found.

With a soft smile shared between the two, Rhea then focused her aether and disappeared into the stream without a word spoken, reappearing outside the Rising Stones. With a shaky deep breath, she made her way into the Scion's headquarters. She spoke to no one as she descended to her room and once the door was closed, she let herself come undone.

Saying goodbye to Haurchefant had done what no eikon had been able to do...

...it had crushed her heart.

Inspirational Soundtrack Songs:

Eavesdrop - The Civil Wars
Evermore Cover - Jonathan Young (from Beauty and the Beast)