Angel of the Night
Chapter four: Turning the Tides
Disclaimer: see previous chapters
A few weeks later, when the war had turned to the favor of the South, Yami was allowed out of bed. The first thing he did was to go and find Safiya. He heard from Seto that the young princess had been coming diligently night after night to watch him while he slept. She would always come at midnight and leave just before dawn. Yami would summon her to him time and time again but she never came. Now he could finally talk to her.
The light of the sun shone brightly as Yami wandered into Safiya's room. She was asleep, Yami figured as much. He would have been sleeping too if he'd been up all night.
Creeping to the side of Safiya's bed, Yami gazed down at her face. She looked so peaceful, so...angelic. Yami reached out to brush a strand of hair out of Safiya's face. He felt something flutter in his chest.
At that moment, Safiya's eyes slid drowsily open. For a moment, she was disoriented. She gazed deep into Yami's eyes, content. She then realized who exactly was staring at her.
"Yami!" she exclaimed, there was nowhere to hide, she would have to face him now.
"Safiya, listen to me," Yami held Safiya's arm down, preventing her from running off.
Safiya stared intently at the ground, not wanting to make eye contact with Yami. "Yes?" she replied hesitantly.
"Safiya, why have you been avoiding me? And then...well, Seto told me, you've been coming to see me at night, why?" Yami looked down at his feet, could he have been more blunt?
"I...I'm sorry, that's all I can say. I'm sorry for yelling at you, I'm sorry for running off, I'm sorry for getting you hurt, I'm just...sorry for everything!" Safiya sobbed, collapsing into Yami's arms.
Startled, Yami wrapped his arms around Safiya's shoulders; he stroked her head soothingly. "Shh, it's alright. Safiya, it's alright," he whispered into her hair.
"No, it's not. You could have died," Safiya gazed into Yami's eyes; he could see her very soul ached. "You could have died and it would have been my fault."
"Safiya, listen to me," Yami began, keeping Safiya's gaze. "I protected you because I wanted to. I felt I needed to protect you just because. I would never have forgiven myself if I had let them take you away from me without putting up a fight. Safiya, I protected you of my own free will."
Safiya looked away. "No you didn't. You did it so you wouldn't feel bad about it later! You could have let them take me...you should have let them take me." She burst into tears again.
"No, why would you say that?" asked Yami.
"My father's dead! I have nothing left! My family, my kingdom, everything! It's all gone! How am I supposed to live my life? I can't stay with you forever. What am I supposed to do..." she trailed off, still sobbing brokenly.
Yami, thought for a moment. Funny, he'd been doing that a lot lately. Not much else to do while bedridden. He came to grips with himself about a certain brunette girl in his arms. Taking a deep breath, Yami began to speak. "Safiya, how old are you?"
Safiya looked up at Yami. "Sixteen, why?" she sniffled.
"Safiya, I know...well, we haven't exactly gotten the best start. And I don't know you very well, and you don't know me. But...I might be able to...solve...your problems, if you'll let me."
"What are you saying Yami?" Safiya had stopped crying and looked intently at Yami, tears drying on her cheeks.
"Safiya," Yami took her hand in his, "will you...will you consent to living here in the palace with me? As...well, my..." Yami blushed; he just COULD NOT say it.
"What is it Yami?" asked Safiya.
Yami mentally cursed himself. "Safiya, how do you feel about me?" he asked.
Safiya was taken aback. "What do you mean?" she asked, interested.
"Well, ah..."
Something clicked in Safiya's mind. "Oh! You mean...oh...um..."
Yami nodded, turning red.
"Well, I...you...I think you're very nice. And brave. And...well, if you're saying...what I think you're saying...then...well..." Safiya looked down. "I...also think...you're very..." she mumbled something inaudible.
"What?" Yami leaned closer to hear.
"I said...I think you're very...um, cute," Safiya replied, turning scarlet.
Yami grinned. Woohoo! She thought he was cute!
"And, I..." she blushed a deeper shade of red, "I think...I think I love you."
Yami could've jumped for joy. She loved him! Of course, he didn't jump. "I..." Yami sighed. "I think you're very pretty, and nice, and, I think I love you too," he grinned.
Safiya smiled, facing him, still blushing. "So, what were you going to ask me?"
"I wanted you to live with me in the palace...as my queen," he replied.
Safiya giggled. "Really?" she asked, rearranging herself on the bed so she was lying on her stomach with her face to Yami, who was sitting on a chair next to the bed.
"Of course," said Yami, as if they were old friends discussing a boating trip to the Nile instead of getting married.
Safiya smiled. "That'd be wonderful."
"Great," Yami beamed. "Close your eyes, I had something special brought for you while I was in bed."
"Ooh! What is it?" asked Safiya.
"Close your eyes and I'll give it to you," he answered.
"Oh all right, if you insist." Safiya closed her eyes.
Yami drew something from a pouch at his waist. He had Seto fetch it the night before from the treasury. It was the necklace his father gave to his mother when they were married.
Placing the necklace around Safiya's neck, Yami drew back. He also took a small mirror from the pouch and held it up in front of Safiya's face. "You can look now."
Safiya opened her eyes and saw the necklace. It had a deep gold chain. The pendant itself was a sapphire and a ruby in a kind of yin yang design. "Oh Yami, it's beautiful," Safiya breathed.
"So you like it?"
"I love it!"
Yami leaned closer to Safiya, "Good."
"Yami?" asked Safiya.
"Yeah?"
"Can I ask a favor of you?"
"Anything," Yami replied smirkishly. (yes, I know it isn't a word.)
"Kiss me," said Safiya, with total seriousness in her voice.
Yami grinned. Just before closing the gap between their lips, he whispered, "I thought you'd never ask."
Brushing Safiya's lips gently, Yami leaned closer, encircling her slim waist with his strong arms. Safiya entwined her fingers in the hair at the nape of Yami's neck, smiling through the kiss.
Pulling away reluctantly, Safiya smiled rather shyly.
Yami took this opportunity to pull her into another kiss. He would have succeeded, had Seto not appeared in the doorway looking for Yami.
"Ahem," he coughed. Yami and Safiya looked up, startled.
"Excuse me, but your generals would like a few words with you. I think you will like what they have to say," said Seto, he then walked out of the room briskly.
Yami kissed Safiya lightly on the cheek. "I'd better go, I'll be back later. Wait here for me okay?"
Safiya nodded, "Okay."
Exactly fifteen minutes and thirty-three seconds later, Safiya counted, Yami walked back into the room smiling.
"Guess what?" he asked.
"What?"
"We're driving back the armies of the East and West. We're winning!" Yami exclaimed gleefully.
"That's wonderful!" Safiya hugged Yami.
"So, when would you like to announce the marriage?" asked Yami, kissing Safiya's forehead.
Safiya smiled devilishly. "Right now?"
"If you want."
"Later, kiss me again first," Safiya giggled.
"It would be my pleasure..."
End chapter...4. wow, that chapter was a b*tch to write. sorry. please r&r! ^-^
Chapter four: Turning the Tides
Disclaimer: see previous chapters
A few weeks later, when the war had turned to the favor of the South, Yami was allowed out of bed. The first thing he did was to go and find Safiya. He heard from Seto that the young princess had been coming diligently night after night to watch him while he slept. She would always come at midnight and leave just before dawn. Yami would summon her to him time and time again but she never came. Now he could finally talk to her.
The light of the sun shone brightly as Yami wandered into Safiya's room. She was asleep, Yami figured as much. He would have been sleeping too if he'd been up all night.
Creeping to the side of Safiya's bed, Yami gazed down at her face. She looked so peaceful, so...angelic. Yami reached out to brush a strand of hair out of Safiya's face. He felt something flutter in his chest.
At that moment, Safiya's eyes slid drowsily open. For a moment, she was disoriented. She gazed deep into Yami's eyes, content. She then realized who exactly was staring at her.
"Yami!" she exclaimed, there was nowhere to hide, she would have to face him now.
"Safiya, listen to me," Yami held Safiya's arm down, preventing her from running off.
Safiya stared intently at the ground, not wanting to make eye contact with Yami. "Yes?" she replied hesitantly.
"Safiya, why have you been avoiding me? And then...well, Seto told me, you've been coming to see me at night, why?" Yami looked down at his feet, could he have been more blunt?
"I...I'm sorry, that's all I can say. I'm sorry for yelling at you, I'm sorry for running off, I'm sorry for getting you hurt, I'm just...sorry for everything!" Safiya sobbed, collapsing into Yami's arms.
Startled, Yami wrapped his arms around Safiya's shoulders; he stroked her head soothingly. "Shh, it's alright. Safiya, it's alright," he whispered into her hair.
"No, it's not. You could have died," Safiya gazed into Yami's eyes; he could see her very soul ached. "You could have died and it would have been my fault."
"Safiya, listen to me," Yami began, keeping Safiya's gaze. "I protected you because I wanted to. I felt I needed to protect you just because. I would never have forgiven myself if I had let them take you away from me without putting up a fight. Safiya, I protected you of my own free will."
Safiya looked away. "No you didn't. You did it so you wouldn't feel bad about it later! You could have let them take me...you should have let them take me." She burst into tears again.
"No, why would you say that?" asked Yami.
"My father's dead! I have nothing left! My family, my kingdom, everything! It's all gone! How am I supposed to live my life? I can't stay with you forever. What am I supposed to do..." she trailed off, still sobbing brokenly.
Yami, thought for a moment. Funny, he'd been doing that a lot lately. Not much else to do while bedridden. He came to grips with himself about a certain brunette girl in his arms. Taking a deep breath, Yami began to speak. "Safiya, how old are you?"
Safiya looked up at Yami. "Sixteen, why?" she sniffled.
"Safiya, I know...well, we haven't exactly gotten the best start. And I don't know you very well, and you don't know me. But...I might be able to...solve...your problems, if you'll let me."
"What are you saying Yami?" Safiya had stopped crying and looked intently at Yami, tears drying on her cheeks.
"Safiya," Yami took her hand in his, "will you...will you consent to living here in the palace with me? As...well, my..." Yami blushed; he just COULD NOT say it.
"What is it Yami?" asked Safiya.
Yami mentally cursed himself. "Safiya, how do you feel about me?" he asked.
Safiya was taken aback. "What do you mean?" she asked, interested.
"Well, ah..."
Something clicked in Safiya's mind. "Oh! You mean...oh...um..."
Yami nodded, turning red.
"Well, I...you...I think you're very nice. And brave. And...well, if you're saying...what I think you're saying...then...well..." Safiya looked down. "I...also think...you're very..." she mumbled something inaudible.
"What?" Yami leaned closer to hear.
"I said...I think you're very...um, cute," Safiya replied, turning scarlet.
Yami grinned. Woohoo! She thought he was cute!
"And, I..." she blushed a deeper shade of red, "I think...I think I love you."
Yami could've jumped for joy. She loved him! Of course, he didn't jump. "I..." Yami sighed. "I think you're very pretty, and nice, and, I think I love you too," he grinned.
Safiya smiled, facing him, still blushing. "So, what were you going to ask me?"
"I wanted you to live with me in the palace...as my queen," he replied.
Safiya giggled. "Really?" she asked, rearranging herself on the bed so she was lying on her stomach with her face to Yami, who was sitting on a chair next to the bed.
"Of course," said Yami, as if they were old friends discussing a boating trip to the Nile instead of getting married.
Safiya smiled. "That'd be wonderful."
"Great," Yami beamed. "Close your eyes, I had something special brought for you while I was in bed."
"Ooh! What is it?" asked Safiya.
"Close your eyes and I'll give it to you," he answered.
"Oh all right, if you insist." Safiya closed her eyes.
Yami drew something from a pouch at his waist. He had Seto fetch it the night before from the treasury. It was the necklace his father gave to his mother when they were married.
Placing the necklace around Safiya's neck, Yami drew back. He also took a small mirror from the pouch and held it up in front of Safiya's face. "You can look now."
Safiya opened her eyes and saw the necklace. It had a deep gold chain. The pendant itself was a sapphire and a ruby in a kind of yin yang design. "Oh Yami, it's beautiful," Safiya breathed.
"So you like it?"
"I love it!"
Yami leaned closer to Safiya, "Good."
"Yami?" asked Safiya.
"Yeah?"
"Can I ask a favor of you?"
"Anything," Yami replied smirkishly. (yes, I know it isn't a word.)
"Kiss me," said Safiya, with total seriousness in her voice.
Yami grinned. Just before closing the gap between their lips, he whispered, "I thought you'd never ask."
Brushing Safiya's lips gently, Yami leaned closer, encircling her slim waist with his strong arms. Safiya entwined her fingers in the hair at the nape of Yami's neck, smiling through the kiss.
Pulling away reluctantly, Safiya smiled rather shyly.
Yami took this opportunity to pull her into another kiss. He would have succeeded, had Seto not appeared in the doorway looking for Yami.
"Ahem," he coughed. Yami and Safiya looked up, startled.
"Excuse me, but your generals would like a few words with you. I think you will like what they have to say," said Seto, he then walked out of the room briskly.
Yami kissed Safiya lightly on the cheek. "I'd better go, I'll be back later. Wait here for me okay?"
Safiya nodded, "Okay."
Exactly fifteen minutes and thirty-three seconds later, Safiya counted, Yami walked back into the room smiling.
"Guess what?" he asked.
"What?"
"We're driving back the armies of the East and West. We're winning!" Yami exclaimed gleefully.
"That's wonderful!" Safiya hugged Yami.
"So, when would you like to announce the marriage?" asked Yami, kissing Safiya's forehead.
Safiya smiled devilishly. "Right now?"
"If you want."
"Later, kiss me again first," Safiya giggled.
"It would be my pleasure..."
End chapter...4. wow, that chapter was a b*tch to write. sorry. please r&r! ^-^