Chapter 8
Rinoa awoke the next morning only to find that she was not in her room. Noticing that she was being held in place by a protective arm, she rolled off her side to see Squall sleeping next her. She rested her head against his chest, listening to his heart beat steadily, moving up and down in time with his breathing. A smile spread over her face as she remembered the events of the night before, and she settled back down to sleep.
Moments later, however, there was a knock at the door.
"Lord Leonhart." The voice belonged to Quistis. "Lord Leonhart, King Caraway and Prince Seifer have arrived." Squall stirred slightly before waking. "Lord Leonhart?"
"I heard you the first time," he shouted, obviously unhappy at being woken.
"You're really not a morning person, are you?" Rinoa teased.
"No," he answered plainly, hugging her and softly kissing her on the forehead. "We'd better get ready to go and meet them," he sighed, getting out of bed.
"You know what, I don't feel too good. Is it alright if I stay here?" she lied.
"What's the matter?" he asked, concerned.
"It's nothing really. I just feel sick and I have a headache."
"Do you want me to stay with you?"
"No, no. You must go and meet them. I'll be fine." She faked a weak smile, hoping that Squall would believe she was sick.
"Well, if you're sure. I'll come and check on you later, alright." She nodded before Squall kissed her and left the room.
"Good morning your majesties." Squall tried to be as polite as possible when bowing to the two men in front of him. "I have a breakfast prepared for you." He led the way into the dining room and sat in his accustomed seat at the head of the table. An uncomfortable silence followed, as Squall was not very good with small talk. Eventually, it was Seifer who broke this silence.
"I hear you have a lady living with you now."
"Yes," replied Squall, not wanting to give any more details.
"Where is she?"
"She sends her apologies. She has been taken ill and must remain in her bed."
"Maybe I should go and see her later." Seifer's smile held a more sinister intent, which Squall noticed. It was obvious to the King that Squall and Seifer had taken an instant dislike to each other, so in an effort to keep the peace, he swiftly changed the subject.
"Thank you for the breakfast. Prince Seifer and I must be on our way into town now." He rose to leave, but Seifer protested.
"Do we have to go so soon? I hear Lord Leonhart is a good sword fighter. I would like to see just how good."
"Is that a challenge?" asked Squall. Normally Squall would not respond to challenges, but there was something about Seifer that really got under his skin, and he wasn't about to back down.
"If you think you're up to it Leonhart." Seifer could tell he was getting to Squall, and this only encouraged him. "Obviously I wouldn't blame you if you refused. I never lose."
"Hmph, we'll see." Squall knew that Seifer was foolish to dismiss him. Squall's prowess with a sword was legendary. It was that that earned him the position of General.
"Very well. Tonight, at six, in the garden. You'd better show up." Seifer strode out of the mansion, laughing at the thought of finding yet another victim. Squall shook his head at the complacency Seifer showed.
"I'll wipe that smirk off his face."
Squall was shocked at how readily he accepted Seifer's challenge. He usually refused, after all, a truly great fighter only engages worthy opponents, and Squall had no idea if Seifer could even fight.
He was even more shocked at how much he relished the thought of victory. He had never enjoyed a fight before. It had never been anything more than his duty. No matter how many battles he had been in, no matter how many he had won, he never enjoyed himself. He found no reason to celebrate victory like the other soldiers did. Squall knew that the battle would begin again the next day, or the day after that. There was no escape from it.
"So why did I accept?"
"Because I hate him."
"But how can I hate somebody I've only just met?" A voice in the back of his mind gave him the answer.
"As easily as you can love someone at first sight."
"Are you feeling any better?" asked Squall, concern filling his voice.
"A little."
"Good. I'm glad to hear it." He sat on the bed next to her, stroking her cheek.
"How did breakfast go?"
"Terrible."
"What happened?" She sat up and put her arm around Squall's shoulder.
"Nothing I put my finger on, but I just get the feeling that Prince Seifer is up to no good."
"What makes you think that?"
"I don't know. I just don't trust him."
"I don't blame you," she muttered under her breath, secretly pleased that he shared her opinion of Seifer.
"What was that?" he asked.
"Nothing," she replied.
"Do you think you will be well enough to come to dinner tonight?"
"Will they be there?" He nodded. "I don't know, I'll see how I feel." She knew very well that she would not attend the meal.
"Don't feel that you have to. I don't blame you if you decide not to go. I think I'll pretend to be sick as well," he joked.
"Why don't you?" she asked seriously.
"I have to go. Seifer challenged me to a duel tonight and I accepted. I can't pretend to be ill."
"You did what?" she screamed.
"Rinoa, don't worry. I can handle myself." She shook her head. She had witnessed Seifer duelling at the palace and knew how good he was.
"Squall. Seifer's the best swordsman in the kingdom. He's never been beaten. If you go tonight you'll be killed."
Rinoa awoke the next morning only to find that she was not in her room. Noticing that she was being held in place by a protective arm, she rolled off her side to see Squall sleeping next her. She rested her head against his chest, listening to his heart beat steadily, moving up and down in time with his breathing. A smile spread over her face as she remembered the events of the night before, and she settled back down to sleep.
Moments later, however, there was a knock at the door.
"Lord Leonhart." The voice belonged to Quistis. "Lord Leonhart, King Caraway and Prince Seifer have arrived." Squall stirred slightly before waking. "Lord Leonhart?"
"I heard you the first time," he shouted, obviously unhappy at being woken.
"You're really not a morning person, are you?" Rinoa teased.
"No," he answered plainly, hugging her and softly kissing her on the forehead. "We'd better get ready to go and meet them," he sighed, getting out of bed.
"You know what, I don't feel too good. Is it alright if I stay here?" she lied.
"What's the matter?" he asked, concerned.
"It's nothing really. I just feel sick and I have a headache."
"Do you want me to stay with you?"
"No, no. You must go and meet them. I'll be fine." She faked a weak smile, hoping that Squall would believe she was sick.
"Well, if you're sure. I'll come and check on you later, alright." She nodded before Squall kissed her and left the room.
"Good morning your majesties." Squall tried to be as polite as possible when bowing to the two men in front of him. "I have a breakfast prepared for you." He led the way into the dining room and sat in his accustomed seat at the head of the table. An uncomfortable silence followed, as Squall was not very good with small talk. Eventually, it was Seifer who broke this silence.
"I hear you have a lady living with you now."
"Yes," replied Squall, not wanting to give any more details.
"Where is she?"
"She sends her apologies. She has been taken ill and must remain in her bed."
"Maybe I should go and see her later." Seifer's smile held a more sinister intent, which Squall noticed. It was obvious to the King that Squall and Seifer had taken an instant dislike to each other, so in an effort to keep the peace, he swiftly changed the subject.
"Thank you for the breakfast. Prince Seifer and I must be on our way into town now." He rose to leave, but Seifer protested.
"Do we have to go so soon? I hear Lord Leonhart is a good sword fighter. I would like to see just how good."
"Is that a challenge?" asked Squall. Normally Squall would not respond to challenges, but there was something about Seifer that really got under his skin, and he wasn't about to back down.
"If you think you're up to it Leonhart." Seifer could tell he was getting to Squall, and this only encouraged him. "Obviously I wouldn't blame you if you refused. I never lose."
"Hmph, we'll see." Squall knew that Seifer was foolish to dismiss him. Squall's prowess with a sword was legendary. It was that that earned him the position of General.
"Very well. Tonight, at six, in the garden. You'd better show up." Seifer strode out of the mansion, laughing at the thought of finding yet another victim. Squall shook his head at the complacency Seifer showed.
"I'll wipe that smirk off his face."
Squall was shocked at how readily he accepted Seifer's challenge. He usually refused, after all, a truly great fighter only engages worthy opponents, and Squall had no idea if Seifer could even fight.
He was even more shocked at how much he relished the thought of victory. He had never enjoyed a fight before. It had never been anything more than his duty. No matter how many battles he had been in, no matter how many he had won, he never enjoyed himself. He found no reason to celebrate victory like the other soldiers did. Squall knew that the battle would begin again the next day, or the day after that. There was no escape from it.
"So why did I accept?"
"Because I hate him."
"But how can I hate somebody I've only just met?" A voice in the back of his mind gave him the answer.
"As easily as you can love someone at first sight."
"Are you feeling any better?" asked Squall, concern filling his voice.
"A little."
"Good. I'm glad to hear it." He sat on the bed next to her, stroking her cheek.
"How did breakfast go?"
"Terrible."
"What happened?" She sat up and put her arm around Squall's shoulder.
"Nothing I put my finger on, but I just get the feeling that Prince Seifer is up to no good."
"What makes you think that?"
"I don't know. I just don't trust him."
"I don't blame you," she muttered under her breath, secretly pleased that he shared her opinion of Seifer.
"What was that?" he asked.
"Nothing," she replied.
"Do you think you will be well enough to come to dinner tonight?"
"Will they be there?" He nodded. "I don't know, I'll see how I feel." She knew very well that she would not attend the meal.
"Don't feel that you have to. I don't blame you if you decide not to go. I think I'll pretend to be sick as well," he joked.
"Why don't you?" she asked seriously.
"I have to go. Seifer challenged me to a duel tonight and I accepted. I can't pretend to be ill."
"You did what?" she screamed.
"Rinoa, don't worry. I can handle myself." She shook her head. She had witnessed Seifer duelling at the palace and knew how good he was.
"Squall. Seifer's the best swordsman in the kingdom. He's never been beaten. If you go tonight you'll be killed."