My Lady
By: Keshoo Neko
A/N: Welcome back! Thanks for all the reviews! I really appreciate them! I know you all must be frustrated at me for the cliffhangers but this will be the last and worst one yet! This it folks we are almost at the end! Well review and tell me what you think of it! I worked hard on this story and put all my energy and tried to make it enjoyable. Oh by the way just for your information I picked Chris as the Flame Champion. And now with out much further ado I present the story.
Part 6: Confession of Love
As he felt those slender yet strong arms wrap around his neck and a slim frame press agianst his body he looked in disbelief at the top of a head full of silver hair. "Lady Chris?" the words fell from his numb lips.
"Percival…"a muted moan came from his shoulder where Chris had her face pressed against. She strengthened her hold on him not wanting any more distance between them.
Percival stared at Chris incredulity, a part of him not wanting to believe that she was actually there. He had to be dreaming. If this were a dream then he would make the best of it. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed his face into her silky hair. They stood there holding on to each other as if to forcefully mold their two souls into one body. He breathed in her wondrous scent of steel, leather and lilacs after a spring rain. It was too good to be true to have the woman he cared for more than life itself there in his arms. It was just too much. Tears burned in his closed eyes and he prayed that he would never wake from this beautiful reverie.
Chris pulled her head away from his warm body and looked up into Percival's handsome face. "Percival…." She breathed letting tears of joy cascade down her face. "I've missed you so much."
The tears that threatened to over take him choke his throat as her words hit him. Fighting them back he managed to say, "By Sadie I've missed you too, but what in the name of the Goddess are you doing here? Am I dreaming?"
"You're dreaming only if I am…" she spoke softly looking deep into his eyes. "I came for you. I need you Percival. I don't want to live without you. Goddess, I don't want to be alone anymore."
"Chris" he managed to speak around his heart in his mouth. By Saint Loa those were words he had prayed everyday to hear but what did she mean by that she didn't want to be alone anymore. He was finding that all those caged up emotions he had were now being released. All the pain he had borne from never admitting his love for her and the anguish of never knowing was leaving as he heard her words. He swallowed his heart as she spoke again.
"I've lost everyone I ever cared about. All the people I've loved with every fiber of my being. My mother…and my father…and Goddess damn it I don't want to lose you either. I don't want to be alone anymore. Please Percival come back. Come back to me." Her beautiful voice broke. All the feelings she had buried for all the 22 years of her life came rushing forward at this perhaps the only time she had ever been so open. All her life she had forced her emotions down. She had to be strong for her family, for her companions and for her country. She couldn't afford to have her emotions run her and so she hid them behind a steely mask and ignored them. But now she let them go and bared them. His leaving had created a pain too much to bear and it caused her to loose that cold wall. She would show him her soul and hopefully it would help him to see that she…
The tears that he had so desperately held back finally fell. The pain in her voice and in his own soul had gotten to him and for the second time in his life he cried. Only when his father had died did he let himself show his heart. He had ever since then hid his feelings away with a cool headed façade. But now…now he had trouble holding that facade. How could he not cry when Chris was almost saying those three words his heart and soul cried with all their being to hear? It was too much for him to bear. Now the tears came. He let them. "Chris," his beautiful tenor voice was trembling with all the heartbreaking love he felt for her.
She reached up and with the tips of her delicate fingers brushed all the pain and tears from his face. She brought her face up to his and brushed her soft lips across his cheek kissing the rest away, much like he did to her that fateful morning. "Don't cry." She whispered in his ear as she laid her head upon his shoulder. "Please, my dear knight, never leave me again."
Percival smiled brilliantly and placed his cheek on her head and once again enfolded her in his strong arms but this time he knew it wasn't a dream. "As you wish, my lady." He whispered back. They held each other as the cool wind passed them by, both never wanting to leave the sanctity of the other's arm. They both had experienced the hells of holding back their love and heart and now from where the sun stood they would never ever let that happen again. No more loneliness, no more sorrow, no more pain. They would be together for all eternity enfolded in the arms of love.
But then as if by fate, they were forced to leave that sacred peace they had found together as screams tore through the silent air coming from the village below them. They broke apart and looked back to the town. "Dear Goddess! What was that?" Percival cursed.
"Come on!" Chris grabbed Percival's hand and sprinted towards the town. She silently prayed for it be nothing as their feet pounded the dirt as they flew down the path. However it was far from the truth. As they entered the town they saw it a large group of men their faces concealed. "Bandits." She spoke as ran further to help the villagers who were being cut down. Chris unsheathed her sword as Percival wrenched one from a dead body. Together as one they rushed to meet then enemy.
With the grace that had always accompanied her Chris swung her sword with an undeniable deftness. She would not forgive these men…these bandits that would take the lives of the innocent for their own benefit. She knew she had to protect these people even if it meant her life. One by one the enemy fell to her blade as she pushed them back. However her blade missed as she swung hard at one of them. Chris realized too late that she couldn't recover from the swing in time to defend herself. She was defenseless and without her armor.
From the corner of her eye she saw the enemy's blade rushing towards her as he went to trust it into her exposed chest. The world slowed down as the blade sought home but as she closed her eyes against the coming final blow she vaguely heard Percival calling her name. She heard the sickening sound of blade skewering flesh but she felt no pain. Chris opened her eyes and gasped in horror.
Percival had stepped in front of her and had taken the blow in her stead. The bandit yanked the blade out with painful slowness and Percival fell to his knees. Engulfed by a rage unlike anything she ever known she used the power of her True Rube and destroyed the rest of them with one blow. She grasped Percival as he fell back into her arms. "Percival…Oh Goddess no." she begged as she looked to the gaping wound in his chest.
He looked up into her beautiful face. "Goddess you're beautiful." He smiled even though pain racked his whole body. He could feel his life drain from the wound his hand vainly tried to close.
"Percival, please don't die. Don't leave me. " She pleaded…she ordered him. "Don't leave me alone." She sobbed. Sadie it wasn't fair that after all that had happened that this would…
He reached up and brushed away her falling tears. "Don't cry." His voice faltered, pain consuming it. His breath rattled in his chest as he struggled to breathe. Soon darkness was eating away at the corners of his sight. At least he had seen her and had held her close one last time. With the last of his remaining strength he pulled her face down and kissed her. His soft lips held her there as he drank down her sweet taste of lilac and tears. Goddess it was like paradise. He broke it as a rivulet of blood ran from the corner of his mouth and he smiled one last time into the face of the woman he loved more than anything. "I love you." He choked as his last breath left his weakened body. Then his world shattered and the darkness claimed him with cold unforgiving arms.
End of Part 6
A/N: PLEASE DON'T HATE ME! Please review and tell me what you think. If you've only review once please review this chapter. As always I accept death threats, just email me. It's gonna be a while until I post the next chapter but if enough people convince me otherwise I'll post early. Please review!
Next: Part 7: Love Me Now Forever
Please look forward to it!