*Newest update! Um…about Natsumi, thanks to Lillybunny for the inspiration. I don't normally dedicate chapters but this one is dedicated to her and everyone else who reads or reviews or sends encouraging emails, that's the stuff that makes my days. Well, all my stories are dedicated to you guys! Hope you enjoy ^.^*

Chapter 15: Josephine

She looked into the sky and sighed heavily, where was he now? She looked at the Prince, asleep in his bed, and felt a pain in her heart. She didn't love him. How was someone she didn't love supposed to love her? She didn't think that was fair. Her mind flashed back to another.

*"I have to go to the palace in the morning," she was wearing a black cloak to hide her face. "There was an agreement, you knew it was coming," but she couldn't hide from him, and she couldn't stop the tears that cascaded down her face.

"Sh…" he put a hand to her cheek, under the cloak, and she reached into his embrace, then pushed away violently.

"We can't keep doing this! It's over!"

"Stop," he whispered and tried to kiss her, but she wouldn't let him. "You're not even going to let me say goodbye?"

"Goodbye," she whispered and turned away from him.*

Not tonight Josephine

He sat on a hill high over an encampment near the palace. He looked at the army of hundreds and cursed her father. He wished there were something he could do to change who he was. He wished there were a way that she wouldn't have to be where she was. His eyes filled with tears at her memory. The last he had seen her he had watched her from not far away, cloaked in darkness, as they rode gorgeous creatures toward the palace. The animals they rode were imported from Chizeta; they had been a gift from the Prince. Silky fur and long manes, with long, strong legs, made for running, and narrow but powerful heads. Their eyes knew somehow, years of intelligence. They were nothing compared to the beauty atop them though. Her brown hair was half up and half down, a few curls were allowed free and fell down her face in their natural waviness. Her bright blue eyes were downcast and stormy, and her white dress was trimmed in silver. She pulled her white cloak around her face and tried not to let tears fall.

It was the last image he ever had of her, and she couldn't look more beautiful.

He looked back to the soldiers and wanted to go down to them. He had deserted for her; he had left his whole life behind. She couldn't be with a soldier, and her father wouldn't allow them to be together, so he ran. He ran from his whole existence to be with her, if only in secret, and now she was gone forever. He felt betrayed and angry, because he could never go back.

In an army's strength

But it wasn't her he was angry at; it was her father, and the Prince. The Prince had desired a bride from his Nobles to calm their anger. Her father had gladly accepted the offer, to spare her the shame of a soldier as a husband. He said he was doing what was best for her, but neither of them believed that. He was doing what was best for his reputation.

Her father had all that army there, enough to overthrow the Prince and become ruler of Cephiro. The only thing that was stopping him was the threat of the Magic Knights and the Master Mage of Cephiro. So they had made this agreement, and given away his lover. Like an item he had traded and sold to the highest bidder.

This was then the Magic Knight's fault as well.

Therein lies the denouement

She looked into the sky and wondered where he was. He had given everything for her, and she had deserted him. She had been taken from him by the man she called father. She didn't understand. She knew that it wasn't in her best interest, because she wasn't happy. She had everything she wanted, and she loved Ferio. But she loved him as Prince of Cephiro; she loved him as ruler of her gorgeous country. She didn't love him as a husband. She didn't love him as a person. They were both hiding, and it made everything harder. She could never tell Ferio about the man that she truly loved because he would disown her. Then she would have to go back to her father, and he would disown her. She would have nowhere to go, because surely Murai no longer loved her. She did, after all, leave him for the Prince.

She thought of his eyes, his gorgeous blue eyes.

*"Sh…" she laughed as he grabbed her waist and made her laugh. She spun around and kissed him quickly. "You're going to get us found."

"Oh," he kissed her again, "Is that bad?"

"Yes," she laughed again, and he let go. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him hungrily.

"I don't think so," he caught her when she pulled back. He kissed her again, but a noise in the woods and a voice calling her name made them dart apart.

"Natsumi? Natsumi are you there?" her father questioned.

"Come with me," he took her hand, and she looked at him desperately. "Please," he begged, and she nodded and they ran through the woods. They ran hard and silently, and the voice faded. She was out of breath when they fell down near a stream, and Murai was laughing. One of his legs was stretched out on the grass and the other was pulled close to his chest. His arm rested on it, and his head rested on his hand as he stared at her.

"What?" she demanded and fidgeted with her skirt.

"Nothing," he laughed and turned his head, rubbing the back of his neck, running his hands through his dirty blond hair, "just…"

"What?" she smacked his leg. "Out with it!"

"Just that you're the most gorgeous woman I've ever seen," he looked into her eyes as he said it, and she smiled and blushed under his intense eyes.

"Arigato."

"I mean it," he took her hands. "I want to marry you."

She looked down, "I can't…"*

From here you're haunting me

*"Why not?" his eyes were pleading.

"Because I have to leave," she answered and looked into the river. "Because there's something I have to do, for the country, for my father."*

By the Seine

"What?"

"I have to go away, to the palace of Cephiro. I have to marry the Prince; it was an agreement between the Master Mage and my father. There's no other way to avoid a war, I'm sorry," she looked at his gorgeous blue eyes as they shattered and fell. She tried to touch him, but he pulled away. "There wasn't anything…I couldn't…"

He shook his head and desired only silence.*

So beautiful

Only not to be of use-

*"We'll run away…"

"No, there will be a war that way."

"We'll be out of harm," he begged.

"No, hundreds, thousands will die. Do you want that on your conscious?"

"There must be a way."

"There isn't," her voice was short, not wanting to cause them more pain with false hopes. "Gomen nasai."*

Impossible

Is this what her father had wanted from her then? He thought to himself as he looked out over the peaceful army. They were waiting for the day of the wedding and then they would retreat and go home. He was waiting for the day of the wedding, the day that would be his last.

Cephiro was safe and people were in the worst pain imaginable. He didn't even know that miles away the Magic Knights of Cephiro were facing the same pain and the Wind Knight and the Prince were both dying because of their obligation to this country. He didn't know, and he wouldn't have cared save the fact that it would spare Natsumi some to know that she wasn't alone.

So strange,

Victory

The coming of the Magic Knights scared her. If Ferio left her she would be alone and unloved in the world. He was all she had, so she clung to him as if he was the only thing she had in the world.

1,200 spires

"Ferio," her voice had been so soft when she arrived. Just what was it about the Wind Knight that made her whisper his name? And what was it about the Water Knight that made her so sad and angry? Her mind raced, was there something she didn't know about the Magic Knights? She feared for her safety and the safety of the country. One word from them and their Rune-Gods could destroy all of her father's army. She reinforced her strength with them, hoping it would be enough to trick them into staying calm and silent.

The only sound

Moscow burning

She walked from the room, knowing that when Ferio slept he did not wake for anything, and walked toward the gardens. She sat on the fountain and looked at the gorgeous flowers. She wondered if they realized that they were caged. She wondered if in all their beauty and splendor they missed being seen as an individual. People looked at the gardens for their beauty, but did they ever bend down and inspect a flower? Did they look at the leaves or the petals? Did they even notice anything about the texture or the shape?

Her heart began to ache when she remembered his taste.

Empty like the Tuileries

The first time he had ever seen her he was sure he had been victim of a cruel joke. He thought he must have had a spell cast upon him and walked into a dream world. Even if that was it, he didn't want to ever have to wake up.

*She walked along the rows of tents, following her father diligently, listening to his instructions. He spotted her almost immediately. The dress she wore was long, a deep green, the color of the forest. The skirt was white, and she wore a green choker and earrings. She smiled warmly at the men when her father scowled and seemed to apologize to them for his behavior. He could do nothing but stare.

Her eyes caught his, and he found that they were a light blue, the same shade as his own. He smiled at her, and her father stopped and dared him to speak. He stood and bowed to them, introducing himself.

"So you're the captain of this miserable little squad then?" her father demanded, and he laughed and nodded, despite the insult.

She smiled at this, and he grinned back.

"Murai," he gave an informal introduction more for her benefit, because he knew her father didn't care.

She curtseyed back, and her father forged on.

"I'll want a full report on supplies and conditions by tomorrow morning. I want an army strong enough to destroy the Magic Knights themselves."

"Hai," he bowed once more, and they walked off. She looked over her shoulder and winked at him. He smiled back.*

Like a dream

Vienna seems

Now it was just a dream, a moment in time that he could never again revisit. Never again would he hold her, or see her laugh. Never again would he get the chance to touch her or…he couldn't torture himself like this any longer!

He turned in the direction of the palace and started walking toward the nearest inn. He needed a drink.

Only not to be of use-

Impossible

For three days at least he walked, from town to town. He always said he'd find some place he liked and settle down. He never found that place. In a few days he had appeared from the Forest of Silence and over a clearing and into the sky he saw the shimmering towers of the Palace of Cephiro. His breath caught; it was as beautiful as they said.

In the last extremity

He sat in the clearing, just staring at the palace. He knew he shouldn't even be thinking about this, even contemplating it, but still it ran through his mind. The Prince couldn't be that bad of a guy could he? He would understand wouldn't he? If he went in there and…

He stopped himself. The Prince was royalty; he was a mere soldier, a deserter even. There would be no question there. Kill him and throw out Natsumi, maybe even kill her. There was no heart to be found in royalty.

Still, maybe he was wrong. He was different maybe? He had heard good things of this Prince; maybe there was a way.

To advance or not to advance-

She looked out into the nearby meadow from the palace stairs and sighed. There was a form sitting on the hill, too far to distinguish human from animal, but her eyes narrowed in the attempt.

"Trying to see your home?" Ferio asked behind her, and she turned and laughed.

"Not at all, this is my home," she answered with a smile.

He smiled weakly and nodded, leaving her be.

§§§~~~

Her voice was carried to him by the wind, and his heart clenched. He had to be hearing things again.

I hear you laughing

"Murai," she whispered and wished that were he in the meadow. Now that she knew Ferio she had a feeling that he would understand. She wished that she had known Ferio before she left her father's camp. If she had, maybe there could have been other arrangements. She wished that he would come for her, riding up in splendor and glory, showing his true strength. She almost cried at the thought that she had next, he had probably already moved on. He was, after all, a soldier at heart, and they were famous for hopping from one woman to the next.

She screamed at herself for even thinking it; he just couldn't come because she had told him not to.

Even still you're calling me

He turned his eyes from the palace and headed toward the nearest village.

"Not tonight

She watched the shape move and turn into the distance. It made her laugh at her folly that it might be him. She turned and walked back into the palace. Neither knew that they were turning away from the only chance of the happiness of Cephiro.

Not tonight

He looked behind him once more, and she did at the same time. There was a feeling there, that neither could deny. They dismissed it to the wind and turned their separate directions.

Not tonight"

Josephine…

*Sorry to burst anyone's bubble at Natsumi being cruel and heartless, though that was my first impression of the character. Then I saw her in a different light and realized that this was a much better alternative, it thickens the plot and makes it easier for…nevermind! Well, next chapter's Hikaru, till then ja!*