Promises
By: Songwind
Summary- What did Emille and Albert say to each other when Albert had to say goodbye, and the screen faded before we could see? Obviously, I think you know what the pairing in this is. At least, I hope you do! WARNING- sappy stuff!
Disclaimer- Gee, I WONDER...
Albert paused as Dart led the others towards the basement of the Twin Castle at Fletz. He glanced to his left, upwards, where he knew a tower stood high holding a certain Princess he knew. "Uh, Dart?"
"Yes, Albert?" Dart turned to give him a quizzical look. "Is something wrong?"
"I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to the Princess," he said. "Do you mind if we wait a moment...?"
Understanding flashed across the blonde's face. "No, I don't mind. Kayla herself told us to go get provisions for the journey," he replied. "We can wait for a while." He glanced at the others, who nodded.
"And perhaps, while we wait, we can have a last meal on land before embarking on our journey?" Haschel suggested hopefully, glancing towards the kitchen.
"I don't think you should, Haschel," Dart told him. "Last time you lost everything you ate five minutes into the voyage."
Haschel made a face. "I am used to ships now, I assure you," he promised. "Just a little food..."
"I agree! I'm hungry!" Meru declared, and raced up the stairs to the kitchen without waiting for any kind of reply. Haschel took this opportunity to race up right after her.
Miranda glanced at Albert, then glanced towards the Throne Room. "And I didn't get a chance to give greetings to the King of Tiberoa from the First Sacred Sister of Mille Seseau," she noted. "I ought to do that before we leave." She started to walk in that direction.
"Alright," Dart said in resignation. "If you're all leaving, let's all show up back here in, say, a half hour?"
"Agreed," Albert said quickly, and smiled. "Thanks." He turned and started up the numerous stairs towards Princess Emille.
Along the way, a number of guards stopped him. "Ho, King Albert!" a middle-aged soldier hailed him.
"Yes?" he asked politely, stopping.
"You're saying goodbye to the Princess?"
Albert nodded, flushing slightly. "Yes, I am."
"Well... I've known Princess Emille since she was a babe, milord, and I don't want nothing to hurt her, you hear? Don't break her heart or I'll find ye in the afterlife and wring yer neck."
The King blinked in surprise at how fierce the soldier sounded, then said, "I promise I'll do nothing of the sort."
"I didn't think ye would do such a thing, milord," the soldier said with a bow as he left. "I was just telling ye."
A couple others told him the same general thing, so it took about ten minutes until he finally made it up to the Princess Emille's room. He took a moment to look out at the sky around him and the birds flying below his spot on the tower before knocking on her door.
There was a long silence, then, "Come in."
Albert opened the door and walked in a little. The princess was facing away from him, gazing out her window. She stood with her hands clasped together in front, her hair done almost to perfection. Albert admired her for a moment, then shook himself. "...Princess Emille?"
"Please, Albert, let us forget formalities?" the princess asked. "You asked me to call you Albert, and I asked you to call me Emille. Remember?"
"Yes, I remember..." He glanced around.
"I... was praying for everyone's safety on this journey. Praying everyone will come back unharmed," she said, turning away from the window slightly to face him.
Albert gave a small, teasing smile. "And how much of your prayer was for me, pray tell?"
"Please don't tease me, Albert," she protested, blushing and looking down.
Albert glanced away. "Sorry."
"..." There was a long silence, and finally Emille spoke again. "I will not be there to watch you go," she said softly. "I... am not well at goodbyes."
"I understand," he said.
Another long silence, then, "Albert!" she turned and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him close.
Shocked, the King was stiff for an instant, then cautiously returned the embrace. "I promise you, Emille, that I will return safely with everyone," he said.
"I want you to promise you'll think of me?" she asked into his neck. Her breath tickled it. He twitched a little.
"Must I promise something I do every day already?" he asked gently.
Her cheek felt warm again against his neck. "...Do you really, Albert?"
"Yes."
Another long pause.
Then, "I would like you to make another promise of me, Albert... if you really feel the way I hope you feel for me, and how I feel for you."
Albert pulled away and searched her eyes for a long moment. Emille's eyes were bright with unshed tears, and her hair was becoming mussed from the embrace. "And what would that promise be?" A tear finally slid down. Alarmed, he asked, "Emille? What's wrong?"
"You tease me again," she accused. "You are leaving and you might not come back, despite your promises. That is what is wrong, Albert. I need you to promise this other thing for me, if you... if you really..." she trailed off.
"If I really... what?"
"Albert, I... I really care about you. I've never cared about anyone so much in my life. I cannot eat when I worry about you out on your journeys, where at any time you can be hit and not stand again..." Another tear. He took out a gloved hand to wipe it away with a finger, and she stopped it with one of her hands.
Emille paused, then pulled off the glove to reveal the warm, slender fingers and press the hand against her cheek. Albert could feel time slow as he noted every single detail of the moment- his warm hand against her cool cheek, the salty tear on his index finger, the shining hope and fear in her eyes...
"What I am attempting to say is that... I believe I'm in love with you, King Albert," she said, ducking her head to hide yet another blush.
Albert froze, then searched her eyes. "By Soa, you truly mean it?" he asked softly.
"Yes..." At his long pause of surprise she said, "I knew it. You love someone else, don't you?"
"NO! No," he repeated, using his still-gloved hand to clasp hers before she could turn away. "I am not in love with anyone else. Emille, I didn't dare to hope you'd feel this strongly for me. I feel the... exact same way."
The blonde looked up. Her now-mussed hair let down a single, shining, golden strand of hair as her eyes met his. "You... you do..." she said softly.
"Yes. I have felt this way for months, since I met you Emille," he stated firmly.
Slowly, her eyes cleared and she gave him a dazzling smile. It felt almost as though a cloudy sky had parted to let in the sunshine in early morning, and he was being touched by the rays of the light. "I am so glad," she murmured.
"Emille, you did not answer my question," he said.
"Which question was that?" she asked.
"The question about what other promise you want me to make to you," he answered. "So?"
She smiled. "To ensure you come back, I want you to promise... promise me that you will marry me when you return."
Albert's eyes widened. "Marry?!" he croaked.
"Yes, silly, marry," she said.
"I- I, of course! Immediately after I return I'll come for you!" he said, his surprise turning into a smile nearly as bright as hers. "I promise you!"
They shared another embrace, then Albert parted from her again. "But you must promise me something," he told her in a firm voice.
"What would that promise be, Albert?" she asked.
"Do not cry again- you do look pretty awful when you cry," he said. "Your face becomes red and blotchy-"
Her puzzled look became one of mock anger. She poked him in the ribs, making him laugh. "Oh, you! Alright, if it takes that, I promise I won't cry again."
"Especially not at the wedding," he said. "That would look even worse." He suffered a couple more pokes from her, then brought her in for one last embrace. "Oh, you've no idea how happy I am, Emille."
"You've no idea how happy I am," she replied. Then she was the one to pull away. "And yet this makes me so sad, how I must wait until you do return... but, you ought to leave now, so you can return sooner, right?" Her smile started to slip again.
"Don't cry, Emille," he warned her with a smile. "I will be back before you can blink twice, I promise that too. But, if I do not leave now, I may give this all up and never leave in the first place."
"Wouldn't that be wonderful?" she murmured.
"Do not tempt me. I have to go..." Albert gave her a small kiss, the first he'd ever dared. "I... love you, Emille."
"And I you. Go, before I decide to tie you down and not let you go after all," she said.
He smiled and hurried out of the room, closing the door behind him.
A few minutes later, he met with Dart and the others at the door to the basement, all looking very impatient. "I apologize, I took longer than I expected," he said.
Dart glanced at him with a small smile. "Is everything ready?" was all he said.
"Yes. Everything is ready now," Albert said. He glanced back up the stairs he'd come down.
"Good, let us go. We have to stop my... father... before this gets any worse," Dart said. Everyone nodded.
Albert gave the stairs one last, yearning glance, then followed his friends down the stairs.
~*~
By: Songwind
Summary- What did Emille and Albert say to each other when Albert had to say goodbye, and the screen faded before we could see? Obviously, I think you know what the pairing in this is. At least, I hope you do! WARNING- sappy stuff!
Disclaimer- Gee, I WONDER...
Albert paused as Dart led the others towards the basement of the Twin Castle at Fletz. He glanced to his left, upwards, where he knew a tower stood high holding a certain Princess he knew. "Uh, Dart?"
"Yes, Albert?" Dart turned to give him a quizzical look. "Is something wrong?"
"I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to the Princess," he said. "Do you mind if we wait a moment...?"
Understanding flashed across the blonde's face. "No, I don't mind. Kayla herself told us to go get provisions for the journey," he replied. "We can wait for a while." He glanced at the others, who nodded.
"And perhaps, while we wait, we can have a last meal on land before embarking on our journey?" Haschel suggested hopefully, glancing towards the kitchen.
"I don't think you should, Haschel," Dart told him. "Last time you lost everything you ate five minutes into the voyage."
Haschel made a face. "I am used to ships now, I assure you," he promised. "Just a little food..."
"I agree! I'm hungry!" Meru declared, and raced up the stairs to the kitchen without waiting for any kind of reply. Haschel took this opportunity to race up right after her.
Miranda glanced at Albert, then glanced towards the Throne Room. "And I didn't get a chance to give greetings to the King of Tiberoa from the First Sacred Sister of Mille Seseau," she noted. "I ought to do that before we leave." She started to walk in that direction.
"Alright," Dart said in resignation. "If you're all leaving, let's all show up back here in, say, a half hour?"
"Agreed," Albert said quickly, and smiled. "Thanks." He turned and started up the numerous stairs towards Princess Emille.
Along the way, a number of guards stopped him. "Ho, King Albert!" a middle-aged soldier hailed him.
"Yes?" he asked politely, stopping.
"You're saying goodbye to the Princess?"
Albert nodded, flushing slightly. "Yes, I am."
"Well... I've known Princess Emille since she was a babe, milord, and I don't want nothing to hurt her, you hear? Don't break her heart or I'll find ye in the afterlife and wring yer neck."
The King blinked in surprise at how fierce the soldier sounded, then said, "I promise I'll do nothing of the sort."
"I didn't think ye would do such a thing, milord," the soldier said with a bow as he left. "I was just telling ye."
A couple others told him the same general thing, so it took about ten minutes until he finally made it up to the Princess Emille's room. He took a moment to look out at the sky around him and the birds flying below his spot on the tower before knocking on her door.
There was a long silence, then, "Come in."
Albert opened the door and walked in a little. The princess was facing away from him, gazing out her window. She stood with her hands clasped together in front, her hair done almost to perfection. Albert admired her for a moment, then shook himself. "...Princess Emille?"
"Please, Albert, let us forget formalities?" the princess asked. "You asked me to call you Albert, and I asked you to call me Emille. Remember?"
"Yes, I remember..." He glanced around.
"I... was praying for everyone's safety on this journey. Praying everyone will come back unharmed," she said, turning away from the window slightly to face him.
Albert gave a small, teasing smile. "And how much of your prayer was for me, pray tell?"
"Please don't tease me, Albert," she protested, blushing and looking down.
Albert glanced away. "Sorry."
"..." There was a long silence, and finally Emille spoke again. "I will not be there to watch you go," she said softly. "I... am not well at goodbyes."
"I understand," he said.
Another long silence, then, "Albert!" she turned and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him close.
Shocked, the King was stiff for an instant, then cautiously returned the embrace. "I promise you, Emille, that I will return safely with everyone," he said.
"I want you to promise you'll think of me?" she asked into his neck. Her breath tickled it. He twitched a little.
"Must I promise something I do every day already?" he asked gently.
Her cheek felt warm again against his neck. "...Do you really, Albert?"
"Yes."
Another long pause.
Then, "I would like you to make another promise of me, Albert... if you really feel the way I hope you feel for me, and how I feel for you."
Albert pulled away and searched her eyes for a long moment. Emille's eyes were bright with unshed tears, and her hair was becoming mussed from the embrace. "And what would that promise be?" A tear finally slid down. Alarmed, he asked, "Emille? What's wrong?"
"You tease me again," she accused. "You are leaving and you might not come back, despite your promises. That is what is wrong, Albert. I need you to promise this other thing for me, if you... if you really..." she trailed off.
"If I really... what?"
"Albert, I... I really care about you. I've never cared about anyone so much in my life. I cannot eat when I worry about you out on your journeys, where at any time you can be hit and not stand again..." Another tear. He took out a gloved hand to wipe it away with a finger, and she stopped it with one of her hands.
Emille paused, then pulled off the glove to reveal the warm, slender fingers and press the hand against her cheek. Albert could feel time slow as he noted every single detail of the moment- his warm hand against her cool cheek, the salty tear on his index finger, the shining hope and fear in her eyes...
"What I am attempting to say is that... I believe I'm in love with you, King Albert," she said, ducking her head to hide yet another blush.
Albert froze, then searched her eyes. "By Soa, you truly mean it?" he asked softly.
"Yes..." At his long pause of surprise she said, "I knew it. You love someone else, don't you?"
"NO! No," he repeated, using his still-gloved hand to clasp hers before she could turn away. "I am not in love with anyone else. Emille, I didn't dare to hope you'd feel this strongly for me. I feel the... exact same way."
The blonde looked up. Her now-mussed hair let down a single, shining, golden strand of hair as her eyes met his. "You... you do..." she said softly.
"Yes. I have felt this way for months, since I met you Emille," he stated firmly.
Slowly, her eyes cleared and she gave him a dazzling smile. It felt almost as though a cloudy sky had parted to let in the sunshine in early morning, and he was being touched by the rays of the light. "I am so glad," she murmured.
"Emille, you did not answer my question," he said.
"Which question was that?" she asked.
"The question about what other promise you want me to make to you," he answered. "So?"
She smiled. "To ensure you come back, I want you to promise... promise me that you will marry me when you return."
Albert's eyes widened. "Marry?!" he croaked.
"Yes, silly, marry," she said.
"I- I, of course! Immediately after I return I'll come for you!" he said, his surprise turning into a smile nearly as bright as hers. "I promise you!"
They shared another embrace, then Albert parted from her again. "But you must promise me something," he told her in a firm voice.
"What would that promise be, Albert?" she asked.
"Do not cry again- you do look pretty awful when you cry," he said. "Your face becomes red and blotchy-"
Her puzzled look became one of mock anger. She poked him in the ribs, making him laugh. "Oh, you! Alright, if it takes that, I promise I won't cry again."
"Especially not at the wedding," he said. "That would look even worse." He suffered a couple more pokes from her, then brought her in for one last embrace. "Oh, you've no idea how happy I am, Emille."
"You've no idea how happy I am," she replied. Then she was the one to pull away. "And yet this makes me so sad, how I must wait until you do return... but, you ought to leave now, so you can return sooner, right?" Her smile started to slip again.
"Don't cry, Emille," he warned her with a smile. "I will be back before you can blink twice, I promise that too. But, if I do not leave now, I may give this all up and never leave in the first place."
"Wouldn't that be wonderful?" she murmured.
"Do not tempt me. I have to go..." Albert gave her a small kiss, the first he'd ever dared. "I... love you, Emille."
"And I you. Go, before I decide to tie you down and not let you go after all," she said.
He smiled and hurried out of the room, closing the door behind him.
A few minutes later, he met with Dart and the others at the door to the basement, all looking very impatient. "I apologize, I took longer than I expected," he said.
Dart glanced at him with a small smile. "Is everything ready?" was all he said.
"Yes. Everything is ready now," Albert said. He glanced back up the stairs he'd come down.
"Good, let us go. We have to stop my... father... before this gets any worse," Dart said. Everyone nodded.
Albert gave the stairs one last, yearning glance, then followed his friends down the stairs.
~*~