Kylar lay silent, breathing softly. __She will return, I know it.__ he told himself again, he could not convince himself that she would be as cold hearted as Anlige. She could NOT be, he had seen in her eyes that her promise was sincere, __Perhaps she did not notice the rose?__ Sylva could only watch with pain. As much as he had tried to prevent it, she saw him as her friend, a friend in unbearable pain and she could do nothing. __Maybe not quite nothing__ the cat thought to herself. Sylva silently slipped out of the room where she had sat watching since Kylar had fallen. Sylva ran out of the castle, leaving the doors open behind her, and into the woods. "Karie!" She shouted to the best of her ability. Karie soon ran right past her and Sylva had to run and catch up. "Karie, you must hurry! I don't know how much longer he can hold out." Sylva's warning made Karie's legs work faster, something Karie had thought to be impossible. __Oh, why did I ever leave? I hope it's not too late!__
Karie ran to his room and found him lying on the floor. The rose lay forgotten in the hallway, the last petal not yet fallen.
"Kylar! Kylar please, I'm here and I love you, please don't die..."
Karie murmured to him through the tears which flowed freely down her cheeks, and landing on Kylar's head as she held him close, willing him to live. Kylar's eyelids fluttered and his eyes opened and he looked into her tear-stained face with near-disbelief. He smiled at her,
" I knew you'd come back."
" Of course, I promised it. And I've returned your heart safe and sound."
He gave a weak laugh, and asked,
"How is your father? Did you see him?"
"No, but I trust he'll be alright."
Sylva came in, carrying a rose in full bloom.
"I believe you dropped this in the hall, Karie."
Karie looked at the rose with disbelief,
"But... there was only one petal... how did..-"
"This rose is the most special of all roses, for it is Kylar's Heart. When it had one petal that meant he was almost dead, but you returned and restored his heart to it's fullness. Now hurry you two, that chapel has remained empty long enough."
The two of them were grinning enormously as they were each lead to different chambers to get dressed up for the wedding.
The wedding was one of the most beautiful ever seen. The candle-holders mounted on the wall were all lit up because there were no windows in the small chapel. Karie wore a dress of white satin, her pale eyes shining brightly in the candlelight, her hair was half-bound up, with a few tendrils curling around her face. Kylar wore his best robes and his dark cape. The contrast was astonishing: the small teenage-girl in white and the tall wolf in black, but the contrast was a beautiful one, like that of shadow and light. The most amazing thing of all happened at the end when the priest, a very large dove in robes of the ancient priestly orders, announced that Kylar could kiss the bride. When their lips met suddenly every beast turned human, Kylar, the servants, everyone. Everyone, that is, except Sylva. Karie noticed this.
"Sylva, why is it that you are still a cat?"
"Simple, my form was not the result of the curse, and even if it were I would wish to remain a cat, for reasons of my own. "
The newlyweds laughed and Kylar remarked,
"You always have reasons of your own, and you're always meddling in the affairs of others, but I thank you for it.... this time."
The cat smiled slyly and walked away.
"My congratulations, M'lord and M'lady. Goodbye, I shant see you again."
"We'll miss you, Sylva."
" And I you, but I was happy to have helped."
Karie's father soon became a very wealthy merchant in Kylar's village and lived quite happily, and Taryre(of course) lived rather miserably as miserable people generally do. And, as you probably guessed, Kylar and Karie lived happily ever after(at least until their kids grew up, but that is another tale intirely) and Sylva the cat happily went about her business of meddling in the affairs of others, and all the people she meddled with lived happily ever after as a result.
Karie ran to his room and found him lying on the floor. The rose lay forgotten in the hallway, the last petal not yet fallen.
"Kylar! Kylar please, I'm here and I love you, please don't die..."
Karie murmured to him through the tears which flowed freely down her cheeks, and landing on Kylar's head as she held him close, willing him to live. Kylar's eyelids fluttered and his eyes opened and he looked into her tear-stained face with near-disbelief. He smiled at her,
" I knew you'd come back."
" Of course, I promised it. And I've returned your heart safe and sound."
He gave a weak laugh, and asked,
"How is your father? Did you see him?"
"No, but I trust he'll be alright."
Sylva came in, carrying a rose in full bloom.
"I believe you dropped this in the hall, Karie."
Karie looked at the rose with disbelief,
"But... there was only one petal... how did..-"
"This rose is the most special of all roses, for it is Kylar's Heart. When it had one petal that meant he was almost dead, but you returned and restored his heart to it's fullness. Now hurry you two, that chapel has remained empty long enough."
The two of them were grinning enormously as they were each lead to different chambers to get dressed up for the wedding.
The wedding was one of the most beautiful ever seen. The candle-holders mounted on the wall were all lit up because there were no windows in the small chapel. Karie wore a dress of white satin, her pale eyes shining brightly in the candlelight, her hair was half-bound up, with a few tendrils curling around her face. Kylar wore his best robes and his dark cape. The contrast was astonishing: the small teenage-girl in white and the tall wolf in black, but the contrast was a beautiful one, like that of shadow and light. The most amazing thing of all happened at the end when the priest, a very large dove in robes of the ancient priestly orders, announced that Kylar could kiss the bride. When their lips met suddenly every beast turned human, Kylar, the servants, everyone. Everyone, that is, except Sylva. Karie noticed this.
"Sylva, why is it that you are still a cat?"
"Simple, my form was not the result of the curse, and even if it were I would wish to remain a cat, for reasons of my own. "
The newlyweds laughed and Kylar remarked,
"You always have reasons of your own, and you're always meddling in the affairs of others, but I thank you for it.... this time."
The cat smiled slyly and walked away.
"My congratulations, M'lord and M'lady. Goodbye, I shant see you again."
"We'll miss you, Sylva."
" And I you, but I was happy to have helped."
Karie's father soon became a very wealthy merchant in Kylar's village and lived quite happily, and Taryre(of course) lived rather miserably as miserable people generally do. And, as you probably guessed, Kylar and Karie lived happily ever after(at least until their kids grew up, but that is another tale intirely) and Sylva the cat happily went about her business of meddling in the affairs of others, and all the people she meddled with lived happily ever after as a result.
