He is bound by duty
…but not invulnerable to love.
Somehow, she had made sure of that.

Where Loyalties Lie
Fascination
by Jess Angel

II

A solid arm in white velvet lay stationary on an armrest of cool ivory. Long, masculine fingers of the appendage, however, were not idle as they caressed vibrant jewels embedded on the end. A thumb flicked over a particular area where a precious ruby slept. The seated man shifted his gaze away from a corner of the room to the messenger bent low before him.

"Reno and Zack have arrived, my lord."

"Alone?" An edge in his voice made itself known. His eyes narrowed at the harbinger. Had she refused again? Undoubtedly, she was a spirited and independent creature, but he could be just as stubborn. He hated ventures that returned fruitless, and this prize he desired high above the rest. No gold or silver, food or drink could sate his hunger for this.

"Nay. The maiden is with them."

His fingers went still. "Excellent." Eyes of molten jade fixed upon the entry behind the servant. "Let them in."

There was a sharp nod, "My lord."

So, we finally meet…

High-walled doors inlaid with gold slowly crawled forward.

My Queen.


A young brunette felt her heart quicken with both excitement and dread. I can't believe I'm actually doing this. She surveyed the finery around her, absorbed in all the splendor.

The maiden was finally accepting the offer that had been made to her several times since the death of her beloved father. Tifa Lockheart was accepting to live in the castle - the very home of the king. It was an incredible thought to think. The young woman had refused a number of times already, but the king had been awfully persistent. She imagined it had a lot to do with the fact that her papa had saved the king's own departed father many years ago. Her well-being and the securing of it were most likely seen as a kind of 'debt' for her father's act of kindness.

Tifa had been extremely reluctant to accept such charity, but with no other relatives to turn to, what else could she do? After the continual repetition of the offer and having time for additional thought, Tifa realized she couldn't possibly live on her own. It would be very difficult for her to support herself, not to mention improper. As a child, she didn't mind bending the rules now and then to her tomboyish whims, but now that her father was gone and she was grown - Tifa would not disgrace her father and his memory in any manner if she could avoid it.

"Ready, princess?"

Tifa smiled at the man holding her arm. He had wild black hair and sapphire blue eyes that twinkled back at her whenever he unleashed that boyish grin of his. A trademark, she was sure. For one of the king's personal royal guards, he was more carefree than she would have expected. He had an open air about him that surprised her, and Tifa was glad for that because it made her less uneasy about entering this new situation. Thankfully, he was also quite the gentleman, unlike that other guard.

She glanced over at the man on her left and tried not to glare. Cheeky redhead. He wasn't at all what she expected as a royal guard either. Tifa gasped in outrage as someone pinched her backside. "Reno!"

Speak of the devil.

"I saw that look, you sweet wench you."

Tifa rolled her eyes at the suggestive lift of his eyebrows.

"Hey, would you quit flirting? She obviously doesn't like you. Didn't you get that the first time around?" Zack replied, amusement evident in his tone.

"Not a chance, Zacky boy. You get to. I get to," the redhead answered, choosing to ignore the last question.

"I wasn't flirting, Reno. It's called respect." He looked across at his comrade. "Want me to spell it out for you? R-e-s-"

The redhead cut into the spelling lesson. "Tch. And what exactly do you call that 'princess' line of yours?"

Zack grinned a little then lifted a shoulder. "Okay, so maybe I was flirting a little." He winked at the blushing girl. "But it's just nickname." The dark-haired man lifted an eyebrow. "You know what those are right? They are names-"

"Jackass."

"Ah, so you've figured out one of yours."

The redhead gave the other a pointed look. "Ha ha."

Tifa finally let out a chuckle at their banter.

"Well, what do you know? Looks like you finally succeeded in doing something besides incurring this fair maiden's wrath, Reno." He paused. "No wait… I believe it was I who made her laugh." He sighed, sounding disappointed. "Oh well."

"You're about two steps and ten seconds away from incurring my wrath, Zacky."

"Like you could take me." Zack lifted a hand to his chin in a mockingly thoughtful pose. "If I remember correctly, I swept the ground with your carcass last training session."

"A one-night stand with Lady Luck." The red-haired guard shrugged. "Can't fault her for taking pity on your sorry ass."

Before the guard could reply, an envoy appeared in front of the trio. "His majesty will see you now."

Zack felt the pressure increase on his forearm. "Hey," he soothed the woman attached to his arm. "No worries, Miss Tifa. His Majesty is… intense, but he's a fair man. You're one of his subjects. He'll make sure all your needs are taken care of."

Tifa loosened her grip slightly then nodded. "I know. I'm just a little nervous. I haven't had a lot of experience with royalty before." She tugged at the skirt of her tan-colored dress. "Once, I met the former king when he came to visit my father, but then I was still very young."

The dark-haired man nodded his understanding. "Just be your sweet, pretty self and I'm sure everything will go over without a hitch." He gave her another dazzling smile. "Look at me and Reno. We're practically in love with you already."

Tifa could only shake her head at the guard and laugh at his flattery.


Tifa Lockheart dipped into a respectful curtsey before her king. She then straightened to her full height, her eyes slowly raising to those before her. And it was not the king she first saw. Instead, her curious gaze had wandered to the guard at his left.

He was a handsome man, to be sure, with fine dark hair and bottomless onyx eyes. But there was something else in his face that made her heartbeat quicken - a sense of the familiar. Yet Tifa was sure she had never seen the man before this moment. When his dark eyes met hers, she moved her observation to the man whose presence couldn't be denied.

The king.

On a throne of ivory he sat, a man with silver hair, seemingly spun from moonlight. His eyes were hard, piercing emeralds that commanded her attention to him. Undeniable power waved from his form, and a strong, regal face branded his royalty. He was very much a grown man but the edges of youth still lingered on him. He looked more like an ice prince on his white throne than an aged king.

What was that word Zack had used to describe him again?

…Ah, yes. Intense.

And he was.

Tifa flushed pink at the appraisal those green eyes were giving her. She felt very plain in this place of luxury. And she didn't have an ounce of nobility in her blood, permitting her to be there either. Her father had been a common blacksmith, while her mother had only been a farmer's daughter. Who was she to a king?

Tifa stilled her hand before it could fidget with her skirts. She had no need to fear, she reminded herself. The king was fair, Zack had said. He would not judge or disrespect her based on her simple garb or station. After all, he had persistently offered her shelter at the palace. And although his reign was scarcely over three years, the people were growing to respect and admire him as they had his father.

Everything would be fine.

She was sure of it.


Lovely.

The silver-haired man contented himself with observing the woman before him. This was the radiant, young maiden he had spied in the streets of the marketplace many a time under the hood of his cloak - the daughter of his father's savior long ago.

Though certainly very beautiful, she wasn't striking. He had seen hundreds of exquisite women in his brief twenty-five years, but this maiden was something extraordinary. She wasn't beauty glaring for recognition but rather beauty glowing like the gentle smile of the sun. There was a tenderness and fire in her eyes that was rare as well as appealing. She was strong of will and character, yet her being remained embracing warmth and friendliness.

He imagined her education must have suffered due to her station in life, but she had her wits about her. A sharpness in her gaze was evidence. She was no gushing child. …Naïve in some ways, she may still be, but that was hardly detracting.

A halo of chestnut hair flowed freely down her back, brushing the curve of her hip while her eyes… They were cinnamon brown speckled with ruby-colored depths. Strange.They reminded him of… Sephiroth shook his mind from the thought, an odd feeling of dislike encumbering him. There was no need to dwell on such a thing. The likeness was only slight - trivial. The man continued on with his examination. But a notice had been made.

Her figure was shapely and slim. However, she was not disgustingly thin, Sephiroth marked; many women of high court seemed to favor that unhealthy look. She was… Delicate, he established. But not annoyingly frail. The king finally nodded his acknowledgement to the young woman. "Welcome, Lady Lockheart."

He allowed an amused half-smile at her confused expression. "From now on, that is how you shall be addressed. The title is yours." He lowered his gaze. "It is in my power."

She bowed her head, somewhat taken aback. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Zachary. Reno."

The two men inclined their heads towards their ruler.

The dark-eyed guard, Tseng, raised an eyebrow at the redhead.

"He stole a kiss," Zack answered, spotting the man's look.

Reno rubbed the still visible pink imprint on his cheek and smirked. "No regrets."

Tifa bit her lip to hold back a reply.

Sephiroth ignored the comment, aware of his guard's 'habits' and watched with a little disappointment as the maiden's eyes moved to his right. To his other guard, of course. No matter. She seemed to like taking in everything around her. This was her first visit to the palace. Her keen interest in life was refreshing… charming even. She must've been a curious little one in her childhood.

He would've liked to see her then. A delightful nymph with chocolate-colored tresses, his mind's eye conjured. It would've been a wonder to see her blossom… capture her essence in her earliest days. A minute in her presence then, what he wouldn't give for a moment of it. A sample of her beginnings… of her past…

The guard on the king's right felt his fingers twitch in recollection.

Then, a pair of rose-petal lips parted unexpectedly.

"Vincent!"


Author's Note: Once again for clarification, this is an alternate universe. It has nothing to do with the plot of the game. The characters are in a world of my creation. Frightening, I know. Just look at the bizarre triangle. Anyway, I'd like to thank everyone for the input on this story. The readers have spoken, and the authoress have given it some serious thought. It shall be continued! (Insert evil laughter here) Comments and constructive criticism adored always.

Character List

Maiden: Tifa

King: Sephiroth

Royal Guard: Vincent, Tseng, Zack, & Reno

King's Father : Deceased. Not Hojo. (In case you were wondering)