Forbidden Chains
By: rainjewel
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Akaro sat on the edge of the cliff, looking down. Her legs were drawn up to her chest, her arms resting lightly on her shins. She leaned forward slightly to look down the sheer drop-off.
"Whoooeeee!" came a yell from the bottom of the canyon. Akaro smiled as the sound reverberated around her. Boys will be boys, she thought to herself.
It had been 2 weeks since the appearance of Chid's wings. The Prince's arm had completely healed, and so had his leg. The blow to his head hadn't given him any trouble.
Akaro gasped as the two boys flew up above her head, then settling down on either side of her. Chid's face was flushed and his eyes had an exhilarated sparkle. Shail ran his fingers through his coal-black hair.
"I think you have it," said Shail, directing his comment to Chid. "Just don't exhaust yourself. And most importantly, never let anyone see you," said Shail sternly.
"Yes mother," said Chid rolling his eyes. He laughed in delight. His wings shook with his delighted cackles, making feathers cascade down on the trio. Akaro raised her eyebrows at his childishness. He finely went back to his princely polite charm, she thought. When did this child take over his body?
"Akaro, knock some sense into this grinning idiot," said Shail. He stood up, brushing some dust off his usual black pants. His figure cast a shadow over Akaro and Chid.
"Hey, where are you going?" she asked. She looked up at Shail's silhouetted form. He looked like the Angel of Death.
"I'm going to go get LeeLee. As much as Meruru loves her, she should be out here, learning how to use her wings too," said Shail. He retracted his wings smoothly.
Chid reached down stealthily and snatched Shail's tunic from the dirt. He flung it at the Fanelian Prince, smacking him square in the face. Shail let out a muffled cry. Akaro sighed in exasperation.
"See how well you can fly with that!" said Chid. He stood up, sheathing his wings quickly. Chid flung himself on the older boy, knocking him in the stomach. Shail quickly flipped Chid over, but couldn't stop the boy's momentum. The two fell to the ground, though it was Chid who hit first.
"I certainly..." said Shail, tossing his shirt awry, allowing him to speak clearly, "...can't fly with my wings withdrawn." Shail smiled down at Chid in the most condescending way.
"Umm...guys? Have you both given into your testosterone so much that you've forgotten about little old me?" asked Akaro. She stood up and slowly brushed the dust off her short emerald green dress. Those guys are so weird sometimes, she thought to herself.
"Well, I don't know about this little mite, but I certainly haven't," said Shail. He grabbed his shirt and quickly put it on. He stood up, releasing a disgruntled looking Chid.
"I'm not a mite," said Chid, standing up. He tried to look evil, but he couldn't help smiling.
"See you, my lady," said Shail in a very thick foreign accent. He bowed before Akaro and kissed her hand. Chid watched on with jealous eyes.
Now this is more like it! thought Akaro. She smiled at Shail, but sent a wink to Chid. She quickly dived on Shail's back, knocking him on his side.
"Tickle him!" she cried gaily. She immediately began tickling his sides. Chid immediately leaped to her side and began tickling Shail mercilessly.
"Stop! Desist! Halt!" yelled Shail between giggles. Tears slipped out the corners of his eyes. Akaro finally fell back, sighing in fatigue and happiness. Chid joined her.
"Ha! Don't underestimate seemingly innocent cat girls," said Chid, smiling at Shail. Akaro laughed at the remark, but her heart wasn't in it. I've got to stop being so melancholy! she thought to herself.
"Yeah well, I'm getting out of here before I'm attacked by silly little children again," said Shail. He tried to say it with extreme disdain, but he couldn't help suppressing a smile.
"Oh, so now we're children? You're not that much older Mr. Fanel," said Chid. He made a move to stand up.
"Oh no, not again," said Shail. He turned and darted into the forest.
"Good riddance," yelled Chid jokingly. He stood up and offered Akaro his hand.
"Ha!" came Shail's voice. It sounded distant, yet was as loud as if the Prince himself were standing next to them. Chid jumped. Akaro sighed and stood up.
"Hey, why are you so blue?" asked Chid. His beaming smile faltered a little.
"I don't know. I'm just feeling dull today," said Akaro. She shifted her vision away from Chid. It was too hard to look at him.
"I don't believe that for a second," said Chid. "Come on, you can tell Uncle Chid."
"My, I didn't know my Uncle was so good looking," said Akaro, a bit more engagingly.
"Well it runs in the family you know, and you are certainly no exception," said Chid. He blushed slightly.
I can't believe he just said that, thought Akaro.
"Yes, well..." Akaro's voice trailed off. She didn't know quite what to say to Chid.
"Come on, tell me! You were all melancholy this morning. I would have thought you've all of a sudden lost every ounce of strength in you, but tackling Shail kind of killed that idea. Give!" said Chid.
Akaro sighed. She knew she would break soon. Chid could be very persuasive without sounding like it at all. Must be the Schezar genes, she thought sourly. She took out the note Chid had left in her sleeping hand about a month ago from her pocket.
"Do you remember this?" she asked. She searched Chid's eyes for any recollection. Chid took the parchment from her hands.
"Do I..." he said, his voice trailing off. He read the note with searching eyes. Akaro watched his face earnestly, analyzing every twitch and movement. Well, he's not blushing. That's a good sign. That must mean he's not embarrassed about writing something so personal, she thought.
"I think we have a discussion that's long overdue," she said quietly. Chid nodded his head in agreement.
"Um," Chid began, looking perplexed, "and I don't know how to put it into words. I think that you think...wait. All right. When I first met you, I felt that you felt caged by something. Chained to your life unwillingly," said Chid. He looked to Akaro for help, but Akaro fought to keep her face blank.
"I must be wrong though, because you have turned out to be a completely different person than I met that night on the balcony, in Freid" Chid said.
"We haven't been in Freid for a while Chid," said Akaro. She sent her words across warmly, full of meaning.
"Are you saying I was right?" he asked.
"Out here Chid, there are no boundaries. I can be my true self. I don't have to hide 'me' from anyone," said Akaro. "You said you felt the same way. Was that true?"
"Yes. I was chained to my role as Prince, leaving no freedom for myself," said Chid. He looked out towards the sky beyond the cliff, his blue eyes distant. "I haven't felt that way in a long time. I've been able to get away...run away from all my duties." The Prince's voice had an edge to it now.
"I should go back to Freid," he said finally, softly. Akaro felt her heart drop. No, he can't go back, she thought to herself. I will never be able to go with him. They'll kill me for abandoning the palace.
"But you can't go back until your arm's healed," she blurted out. She knew that it was a desperate plea, and a vain one. Chid turned his head to her, smiling ruefully.
"It is healed. Completely, totally, and without a doubt," he said.
"I understand," she said, sighing, "I was able to break those awful chains, but you can't, and it's not your fault. But Chid, I don't want you to go. I don't want you to be caged like a bird, chained to a wall by your own title," said Akaro. And I want you to stay with me because I want you, she added to herself.
"I'll stay another week, I think. I have to go back and start behaving like a man. A man who has to run a country," Chid said.
"A prince," said Akaro absently. Her soul hurt.
"Are you questioning my manhood?" asked Chid. His words were meant to be humorous, but his voice was dripping with biting sorrow.
"No," said Akaro simply. I'm losing him. I'm really going to lose him, she thought to herself. Inside her mind was she was panicked, but her exterior self was calm.
"You know though, I can't go without giving her my gift," said Chid. His voice was stronger, yet still quiet. His blue eyes turned to Akaro.
Those eyes are the windows to his soul, and I can't see into them at all, Akaro thought. The thought made her want to cry. And now he's probably talking about some girl he met and fell in love with, she thought bitterly. Anger and jealousy welled up inside her. She cooled it.
"Who is this 'her'?" Akaro asked softly. She dreaded the answer. Chid stepped up to her, very close.
"It's a secret, but you'll have to come closer," he said. His voice had become smooth and silky. It was an Allen voice, Akaro knew. She wondered how she could get any closer to him, but she moved forward a few inches. Chid leaned down and put his head very close to her ear.
"It's you," he whispered. Akaro involuntarily shivered. His smooth voice tickled her ears, and she was having trouble breathing.
"What in all of Gaea would you want to give me?" she asked slowly, she was whispering too. She felt uneasy. Having Chid this close right now was very disconcerting. Especially since he wasn't wearing his vest.
"This," he whispered. Chid wrapped his arms around her, lifting her off the ground like a bride, then jumped off the cliff.
Akaro gasped and held tight to Chid as she felt them falling. Air ripped at her frame, making her feel small and weak. She hid her face in Chid's shoulder, but realized she wasn't frightened. She heard Chid whispering something, but she couldn't make it out.
Suddenly there was a great whooshing sound, and the air stopped beating Akaro's frame. She lifted her head and saw that the Prince's wings had sprouted from his back. Akaro felt herself slowly rise into the air.
"Look down," whispered Chid into her ear. Akaro slowly turned her head and looked to the ground. They were soaring in the gorge, beige rocks surrounding them. Nothing spectacularly beautiful, but the intense feeling of freedom was making Akaro light-headed.
"I'm going to kill you for this, but later, when I get done enjoying the feeling," said Akaro, leaning in, her mouth close to her ear. Chid was looking at the ground, but turned his head slightly when she leaned in.
"Don't be so impulsive," he said teasingly to Akaro's cheek. She hadn't moved. That Schezar wit is really showing through today, thought Akaro, smiling amusedly to herself. Chid flew around a few more minutes, and the two simply stared at the sky around them. Eventually Chid landed on a large brown boulder on the other side of the ravine, and placed Akaro down on her feet.
Akaro stood there, thinking. Or at least trying too. Feathers fell around her and Chid, a certain sign that he had withdrawn his wings. Her arms were still encircled around Chid's neck, and her face was inches from his shoulder. What am I doing? Break away Akaro. Just break away, she thought to herself. She almost made the move to step back, but felt Chid press his hands to her back, hugging her close. Gods, please let him be thinking what I'm thinking, she prayed inwardly.
"So, you really think I'm impulsive?" she whispered. Her voice was incredibly calm to her. The sound of it almost made her want to laugh hysterically. Chid pulled away from her a little, but kept her in his grasp. Akaro cursed herself silently.
Chid looked at her a little quizzically, then his eyes glazed over for a second, and a small frown etched his face in thought.
"No," he said eventually, very quietly. Akaro leaned in a little to hear him.
"It took you that long to think of something?" she asked. That calm voice again. I want to kiss him! I want to kiss him so bad I can taste it! she thought.
"No, I just was a little distracted," he said. Akaro noted that his voice was lower. Akaro decided to take the chance.
"Well, I'll have to change that," she said almost silently. She then leaned in and kissed Chid full on the mouth. He seemed slightly surprised, but then kissed her back. After what seemed to be a millisecond, the two parted. Akaro couldn't believe herself. Then Chid kissed her again, and she didn't think a thing about it. This kiss wasn't as short or as experimental this time. His tongue briefly touched her lips, and she could feel passion behind it. His hands ran through her hair.
I don't believe I'm doing this! she thought half-heartedly. Chid's arms pulled her in closer, and she kissed him back harder. After a few more exploratory moments, Chid pulled away, breathing heavily.
"This isn't the place," he said thickly. Akaro saw his eyes were very annoyed that this wasn't the place, but she agreed with him a little bit.
"I agree," she whispered. Akaro kissed his neck a few times and felt him shiver in pleasure. She smiled and lay her head on his shoulder.
"I believe I said that I was chained to Freid, did I not?" he asked a little distantly. Akaro's heart sank in her chest; she hugged him a little tighter. Why did he have to bring that up? she thought.
"Yes," she said. Chid tightened the grip on her body. Akaro absently ran her fingers through the hair at the bottom of his neck. She liked the way he smelled, like fresh pine combined with something muskier. He had smelled like that in the forest.
"Well, I have more then one set of chains now. I'm chained to you now," said Chid, talking to her hair. He kissed her temple.
"You can't. You're the heir to the throne and I'm a servant. Your father would forbid it," Akaro said. Why am I arguing with him? she chided herself.
"I don't care, and I don't think you do either, Akaro. I'm forbidden to be chained to you. So what? I'm forbidden to do practically anything I want too. I want to break my other chains, but these chains, these forbidden chains, I never want to break," Chid said. He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers.
"What in the hell are you two doing over there?" called a voice from the other side of the ravine. Chid and Akaro parted, and Shail was standing over on the other side of the ravine, his hands on his hips. Lorallee was on his shoulders, playing with his hair. A bright smile lit the Fanelian Prince's face.
"Shail, you silly, they're kissing!" said Lorallee in a singsong voice. She giggled hysterically.
Akaro blushed, and Chid stood, his mouth slightly ajar.
"Perceptive little thing, isn't she?" said Shail. He was laughing now.
"I'll say," Chid called back. He smiled and broke into a fit of laughter. Akaro smiled too, and laughed slightly.
"Well, are you going to come back over here, or do I have to drag this munchkin over to you?" Shail asked. Lorallee beat on his head with her small fists.
"We'll be over there in just a minute," said Chid. He turned to Akaro. "Ready to fly?" he asked.
"You shouldn't be doing this, you know. Your arm just healed," Akaro said.
"Don't worry. Shail made me catch him, and even though he looks rather skinny, he's pure muscle. That boy is heavy," Chid said. He grimaced at the thought. "You on the other hand, are like carrying air. I think you need to eat more," he chided.
"I have a high metabolism," said Akaro with mock indignity. Chid laughed and sprouted wings. He then lifted her off the ground, and sailed into the sky.