A/N: Hello again! I said I would be good about posting! And here's the next chapter! Yeah!
I hope all is well with everyone- things have begun to get back into the usual routine of classes and such.
Thanks again for all the reviews! I enjoy them a lot! I guess this story could be classified as an angst- but it ends happy- I swear! You'll see it, believe me. I think a little angst here and there add to the story and make the ending so much better after the couple have gotten through troubles… oh well- in real life things aren't always peachy and fluffy… but anyway… I'll just shut up and give you what you came her for!
Chapter 12
The sun rose like it had everyday, except the rain had not let up yet.
A single messenger came galloping into the palace gates- dismounting he ran to the throne room where Tai still was sitting in thoughtful silence.
"Sire, I bring urgent word from Takenou."
"What is it?" Tai asked sobering back to reality.
The messenger handed a scroll of parchment to him. Tai read the note twice.
"Are they sure?" He asked only to get a nod from the messenger. "Thank you, you should go and get dried off now." Tai said to the sopping wet man before him. When he was alone once again his face returned to the same glum one that had been on his features since the incident in the bedroom.
Silently he walked down the halls of the large castle, holding tightly to the letter he held in his hands. Standing before his bedchamber door, Tai took a deep breath. Opening the elaborately decorated wooden doors, he found Sora up and dressed.
"Sora?" He started out in a small voice, unsure of her reaction towards him. She regarded him wearily- and that hurt him beyond words.
"I have… some bad news my love." He continued without emotion in his voice.
"Here." He said as he handed her the paper, unable to tell her of the contents. While she read the paper, Tai sat down on a chair by the bed and ran his hands through his hair.
Sora had taken the letter and read it carefully. Choking on a sob, tears rolled down her face as she read the news.
"My father… he's dying? But he looked alright but a week ago." She cried as he legs went numb.
Tai was there to catch her before she fell to the floor. Holding her close as she wept on his shoulders Tai didn't know what to say, to do.
"I have to go… I have to go to him." She sobbed.
"I know… there's a coach prepared and everything." Came Tai's voice just as shaky as hers was. Standing her up, he helped her pack in silence.
Before she boarded the carriage that waited at the front gates of the palace she turned and looked at him confused.
"Aren't you coming with?" She asked simply.
"No," he simply replied looking into her sad crimson eyes. He loved those eyes and now, he just couldn't bare looking into then, so he quickly looked away. His heart was in serious pain as the rain came down and soaked his hair as he stood out on the steps without even a cloak on.
Pulling her to him in a last embrace he removed the wedding band from her finger.
"Taichi?" "You're free Sora… I love you so much that I see I was fooling myself… you could never be truly happy here. And so I release you my love… now go. Go to your father before I change my mind." He said forcing back the tears that threatened to spill from his chocolate eyes. Turning promptly he walked away from her not wanting to look back.
"Milady, we must hurry." The coachman said as he ushered her into the carriage out of the rain.
Looking out the back of the carriage tears mixed with dripping rain droplets on her face. On the balcony she thought she saw a lone figure watching the departing carriage on a balcony of the palace.
"Goodbye Taichi… and thank you." She whispered.
-
The rain seemed to match his mood, because it was pouring down without mercy as he stood upon the balcony.
He had set her free- it was the right thing to do- but why did it rip at his soul? But then again, what did it matter now anyway? He didn't want to live… so he just stood there letting the icy cold rain pound on his skin.
'Sora, I will always love you' he thought as he watched the small object finally drift out of sight.
-
The stopping of the coach jolted Sora from her sleep. Wiping her eyes the best she could, she tried to look presentable. With the help of the coachman, she exited the carriage and then sprinted to her old home.
Sure enough, all the doctors of the town were there. Amongst them laid her father in the center. A deadly pale color painted his cheeks and face.
"Why didn't you tell me you were ill?" She cried as she knelt at his side.
"Sora, I'm an old man…" He coughed.
"No- no you were perfectly healthy…"
"The wound got infected… it's no ones fault." "But…" "My body won't heal like yours anymore Sora… we both knew this is part of life. And it would have happened eventually." He forced a smile.
Over the next few hours Sora sat with her father, the last remaining family she had.
She was truly afraid now. Once he left, she would be all alone.
"Please father, don't you leave me too." She wept as she held him in her arms.
-
Back at the palace Joe was walking thought he halls when he felt the cold breeze coming from the royal bedrooms. Knocking before he entered, he was not prepared to find what was not he other side of the door. There was Taichi laying outside on the balcony in the rain. He was soaked tot the bone as dawn came upon the land.
"God Taichi, are you mad? You could die of a cold by just sitting there like this." Joe sternly said while trying to hastily dry his king off.
"She's gone… so what does it matter anymore?" Came the quiet answer.
Soon Joe had him in dry cloths tucked tightly into bed. Several maids started a fire in the room while more brought warm liquids for their king.
"Drink up. We need to get you warmed up." Joe instructed.
"Joe?" Came a voice.
"What is it darling?" He called back to Mimi as she slowly walked into the room holding her child.
"I can't find Sora anywhere."
"What?"
-
Days past. Sora had spent her days with her father- never once leaving his side for more than a few minutes.
He was now too weak to talk so she just sat resting his head on her knees, and stroking his gray hair. Telling him of how much she loved him and would miss him, he passed on to the next life.
Tears of loneliness dropped down from her eyes.
"No…" She whispered in disbelief. "You can't be dead." Sora kept telling herself, but the sad truth was that he was. They buried their kind leader next to his wife and sons in the village cemetery. Sora sat there in her family's house just staring off into nothing after the funeral. She felt empty and utterly lost.
'What do I do now?' Sora asked herself, but got no reply.
-
"IS there any change? How's he doing?" Mimi asked quietly as she met Joe as he exited the royal bedchambers.
"It doesn't look good." He commented putting his hand on her shoulder.
"And Sora?" She went home?" Mimi continued sadly.
"I guess. That's what I gathered from Tai's mumblings."
"She'll come back right? I mean she loves him… she has to."
"Tai had her wedding band… and her carriage returned a little while ago- empty." Joe sighed as he held the weeping woman in his arms.
"I don't think he wants to go on with out her." Joe added. "I've never seen him like this."
-
It was not yet two weeks since the death of her father. Sitting alone in their empty house just added to her sadness. Soon she began to miss being held by loving arms… he was always on her mind and in her dreams.
'Taichi…' She sighed. 'Why do I have to love you so much? I don't even remember falling for your smile… but I miss it greatly.' She finally admitted to herself.
"I love him." She said out loud for the first time. "I'm in love with Taichi… my dearest husband." She smiled, but her smile drew grim when she looked down at her fingers. The band was gone- a sign of his love for her… he had taken it back.
'Does that mean he doesn't love me anymore? Oh how could I hurt him that much?' She asked herself. She felt ashamed. Ashamed she hadn't been mature enough to accept she truly did love him and that she hurt him by doing so.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry Taichi… I need to go back. This is no longer my home. My home is with him." She said as she got up and prepared for the trip back tot the capital of the Kamiya kingdom. After saying her final goodbyes to her family's graves, she saddled up her horse.
Taking a few mementos with her, she left at daybreak for Taichi and where her heart belonged.
I hope all is well with everyone- things have begun to get back into the usual routine of classes and such.
Thanks again for all the reviews! I enjoy them a lot! I guess this story could be classified as an angst- but it ends happy- I swear! You'll see it, believe me. I think a little angst here and there add to the story and make the ending so much better after the couple have gotten through troubles… oh well- in real life things aren't always peachy and fluffy… but anyway… I'll just shut up and give you what you came her for!
Chapter 12
The sun rose like it had everyday, except the rain had not let up yet.
A single messenger came galloping into the palace gates- dismounting he ran to the throne room where Tai still was sitting in thoughtful silence.
"Sire, I bring urgent word from Takenou."
"What is it?" Tai asked sobering back to reality.
The messenger handed a scroll of parchment to him. Tai read the note twice.
"Are they sure?" He asked only to get a nod from the messenger. "Thank you, you should go and get dried off now." Tai said to the sopping wet man before him. When he was alone once again his face returned to the same glum one that had been on his features since the incident in the bedroom.
Silently he walked down the halls of the large castle, holding tightly to the letter he held in his hands. Standing before his bedchamber door, Tai took a deep breath. Opening the elaborately decorated wooden doors, he found Sora up and dressed.
"Sora?" He started out in a small voice, unsure of her reaction towards him. She regarded him wearily- and that hurt him beyond words.
"I have… some bad news my love." He continued without emotion in his voice.
"Here." He said as he handed her the paper, unable to tell her of the contents. While she read the paper, Tai sat down on a chair by the bed and ran his hands through his hair.
Sora had taken the letter and read it carefully. Choking on a sob, tears rolled down her face as she read the news.
"My father… he's dying? But he looked alright but a week ago." She cried as he legs went numb.
Tai was there to catch her before she fell to the floor. Holding her close as she wept on his shoulders Tai didn't know what to say, to do.
"I have to go… I have to go to him." She sobbed.
"I know… there's a coach prepared and everything." Came Tai's voice just as shaky as hers was. Standing her up, he helped her pack in silence.
Before she boarded the carriage that waited at the front gates of the palace she turned and looked at him confused.
"Aren't you coming with?" She asked simply.
"No," he simply replied looking into her sad crimson eyes. He loved those eyes and now, he just couldn't bare looking into then, so he quickly looked away. His heart was in serious pain as the rain came down and soaked his hair as he stood out on the steps without even a cloak on.
Pulling her to him in a last embrace he removed the wedding band from her finger.
"Taichi?" "You're free Sora… I love you so much that I see I was fooling myself… you could never be truly happy here. And so I release you my love… now go. Go to your father before I change my mind." He said forcing back the tears that threatened to spill from his chocolate eyes. Turning promptly he walked away from her not wanting to look back.
"Milady, we must hurry." The coachman said as he ushered her into the carriage out of the rain.
Looking out the back of the carriage tears mixed with dripping rain droplets on her face. On the balcony she thought she saw a lone figure watching the departing carriage on a balcony of the palace.
"Goodbye Taichi… and thank you." She whispered.
-
The rain seemed to match his mood, because it was pouring down without mercy as he stood upon the balcony.
He had set her free- it was the right thing to do- but why did it rip at his soul? But then again, what did it matter now anyway? He didn't want to live… so he just stood there letting the icy cold rain pound on his skin.
'Sora, I will always love you' he thought as he watched the small object finally drift out of sight.
-
The stopping of the coach jolted Sora from her sleep. Wiping her eyes the best she could, she tried to look presentable. With the help of the coachman, she exited the carriage and then sprinted to her old home.
Sure enough, all the doctors of the town were there. Amongst them laid her father in the center. A deadly pale color painted his cheeks and face.
"Why didn't you tell me you were ill?" She cried as she knelt at his side.
"Sora, I'm an old man…" He coughed.
"No- no you were perfectly healthy…"
"The wound got infected… it's no ones fault." "But…" "My body won't heal like yours anymore Sora… we both knew this is part of life. And it would have happened eventually." He forced a smile.
Over the next few hours Sora sat with her father, the last remaining family she had.
She was truly afraid now. Once he left, she would be all alone.
"Please father, don't you leave me too." She wept as she held him in her arms.
-
Back at the palace Joe was walking thought he halls when he felt the cold breeze coming from the royal bedrooms. Knocking before he entered, he was not prepared to find what was not he other side of the door. There was Taichi laying outside on the balcony in the rain. He was soaked tot the bone as dawn came upon the land.
"God Taichi, are you mad? You could die of a cold by just sitting there like this." Joe sternly said while trying to hastily dry his king off.
"She's gone… so what does it matter anymore?" Came the quiet answer.
Soon Joe had him in dry cloths tucked tightly into bed. Several maids started a fire in the room while more brought warm liquids for their king.
"Drink up. We need to get you warmed up." Joe instructed.
"Joe?" Came a voice.
"What is it darling?" He called back to Mimi as she slowly walked into the room holding her child.
"I can't find Sora anywhere."
"What?"
-
Days past. Sora had spent her days with her father- never once leaving his side for more than a few minutes.
He was now too weak to talk so she just sat resting his head on her knees, and stroking his gray hair. Telling him of how much she loved him and would miss him, he passed on to the next life.
Tears of loneliness dropped down from her eyes.
"No…" She whispered in disbelief. "You can't be dead." Sora kept telling herself, but the sad truth was that he was. They buried their kind leader next to his wife and sons in the village cemetery. Sora sat there in her family's house just staring off into nothing after the funeral. She felt empty and utterly lost.
'What do I do now?' Sora asked herself, but got no reply.
-
"IS there any change? How's he doing?" Mimi asked quietly as she met Joe as he exited the royal bedchambers.
"It doesn't look good." He commented putting his hand on her shoulder.
"And Sora?" She went home?" Mimi continued sadly.
"I guess. That's what I gathered from Tai's mumblings."
"She'll come back right? I mean she loves him… she has to."
"Tai had her wedding band… and her carriage returned a little while ago- empty." Joe sighed as he held the weeping woman in his arms.
"I don't think he wants to go on with out her." Joe added. "I've never seen him like this."
-
It was not yet two weeks since the death of her father. Sitting alone in their empty house just added to her sadness. Soon she began to miss being held by loving arms… he was always on her mind and in her dreams.
'Taichi…' She sighed. 'Why do I have to love you so much? I don't even remember falling for your smile… but I miss it greatly.' She finally admitted to herself.
"I love him." She said out loud for the first time. "I'm in love with Taichi… my dearest husband." She smiled, but her smile drew grim when she looked down at her fingers. The band was gone- a sign of his love for her… he had taken it back.
'Does that mean he doesn't love me anymore? Oh how could I hurt him that much?' She asked herself. She felt ashamed. Ashamed she hadn't been mature enough to accept she truly did love him and that she hurt him by doing so.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry Taichi… I need to go back. This is no longer my home. My home is with him." She said as she got up and prepared for the trip back tot the capital of the Kamiya kingdom. After saying her final goodbyes to her family's graves, she saddled up her horse.
Taking a few mementos with her, she left at daybreak for Taichi and where her heart belonged.
