Chapter 7
"Excuse me Sir, Miss." Quistis bowed to a very embarrassed Squall and Rinoa who were walking in the hallway hand in hand. "There's a messenger here to see you."
"What, at this time?" Squall sounded annoyed at the interruption.
"I'm sorry, Sir," apologised Quistis, sensing that she had come at a bad time. "But it's urgent that you speak to him."
"Very well. I shall speak to him."
The door to the study flew open as Squall entered, none too happy to be there.
"What is it?" he demanded sternly. The messenger was shocked into silence, obviously in fear of the daunting figure before him. Rinoa snuck quietly into the room behind him and stood in the corner, not wanted to be involved.
"I, I have a message from the King," he stuttered, handing over a letter, his hand shaking wildly. At this, Rinoa swiftly turned to face the wall, hoping that the palace messenger would not recognise her.
"What can he want?" she thought, panicking. "Surely father will not come looking for me. Surely he doesn't know I am here."
Squall snatched the letter from the messenger's hand, and studied it silently, a frown forming on his face.
"So be it," he said to the messenger, emotionless. "You can leave now." The messenger merely nodded his head before leaving the room as swiftly as possible.
"What's the matter, Squall?" Rinoa asked. "You don't seem too happy."
"Just annoyed, I guess. I was looking forward to talking to you without any interruptions." He stared at the floor. "I was going to ask her who she really is," he thought.
"What did the letter say?" she enquired curiously.
"The last thing I needed to hear." He handed her the letter so that she would be able to read it.
Sir Leonhart,
I have been informed of several sightings of my fugitive daughter in your area. In order to find her once again, I demand that Prince Almasy and I will be given rooms in your mansion. I shall arrive tomorrow.
King Caraway
A look of total shock spread across Rinoa's face.
"This, this can't be true."
"Tell me about it. I have to put up with him just because of some stupid, bratty princess." Looking at Rinoa, he could see that she was upset. "What, is it something I said?" She ran out of the study before she burst into tears.
"Rinoa." Squall gently put his hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?" She gave him a weak smile.
"How did you find me?"
"When I'm upset or need to think, I go out on the balcony. I just thought that you might do the same." She was silent. "What was wrong before?"
"It was nothing," she lied. "I shouldn't have been upset that he called me stupid and bratty. Sure, it hurt, but he doesn't know who I am. How was he to know?"
"Are you sure? It didn't look like nothing." He was obviously concerned, Rinoa could see it in his, deep, icy-blue eyes.
"It was nothing." She turned away, obviously lying. "He's going to come here. He's going to find me. He'll take me back to the palace, take me away from Squall. I can't go back. Not after what I've found here."
"Well, if you're sure it's nothing." He kissed her on the forehead, causing her to smile and look up into those eyes. She stood on her tip- toes and kissed him passionately on the lips, not wanting to part from him.
"No, there's no way I'm going back."
"Excuse me Sir, Miss." Quistis bowed to a very embarrassed Squall and Rinoa who were walking in the hallway hand in hand. "There's a messenger here to see you."
"What, at this time?" Squall sounded annoyed at the interruption.
"I'm sorry, Sir," apologised Quistis, sensing that she had come at a bad time. "But it's urgent that you speak to him."
"Very well. I shall speak to him."
The door to the study flew open as Squall entered, none too happy to be there.
"What is it?" he demanded sternly. The messenger was shocked into silence, obviously in fear of the daunting figure before him. Rinoa snuck quietly into the room behind him and stood in the corner, not wanted to be involved.
"I, I have a message from the King," he stuttered, handing over a letter, his hand shaking wildly. At this, Rinoa swiftly turned to face the wall, hoping that the palace messenger would not recognise her.
"What can he want?" she thought, panicking. "Surely father will not come looking for me. Surely he doesn't know I am here."
Squall snatched the letter from the messenger's hand, and studied it silently, a frown forming on his face.
"So be it," he said to the messenger, emotionless. "You can leave now." The messenger merely nodded his head before leaving the room as swiftly as possible.
"What's the matter, Squall?" Rinoa asked. "You don't seem too happy."
"Just annoyed, I guess. I was looking forward to talking to you without any interruptions." He stared at the floor. "I was going to ask her who she really is," he thought.
"What did the letter say?" she enquired curiously.
"The last thing I needed to hear." He handed her the letter so that she would be able to read it.
Sir Leonhart,
I have been informed of several sightings of my fugitive daughter in your area. In order to find her once again, I demand that Prince Almasy and I will be given rooms in your mansion. I shall arrive tomorrow.
King Caraway
A look of total shock spread across Rinoa's face.
"This, this can't be true."
"Tell me about it. I have to put up with him just because of some stupid, bratty princess." Looking at Rinoa, he could see that she was upset. "What, is it something I said?" She ran out of the study before she burst into tears.
"Rinoa." Squall gently put his hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?" She gave him a weak smile.
"How did you find me?"
"When I'm upset or need to think, I go out on the balcony. I just thought that you might do the same." She was silent. "What was wrong before?"
"It was nothing," she lied. "I shouldn't have been upset that he called me stupid and bratty. Sure, it hurt, but he doesn't know who I am. How was he to know?"
"Are you sure? It didn't look like nothing." He was obviously concerned, Rinoa could see it in his, deep, icy-blue eyes.
"It was nothing." She turned away, obviously lying. "He's going to come here. He's going to find me. He'll take me back to the palace, take me away from Squall. I can't go back. Not after what I've found here."
"Well, if you're sure it's nothing." He kissed her on the forehead, causing her to smile and look up into those eyes. She stood on her tip- toes and kissed him passionately on the lips, not wanting to part from him.
"No, there's no way I'm going back."