How do you Love

By Infinitis

Disclaimer: Same as any

AN: I'm taking a chance with my mother's computer (even if it is slow) Plz R&R ^_____^ Beware! Allen is still a jerk in this one too.

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Thanked Reviews

Angel of Re: I'm going as fast as I can! But it's just soooooooo hard to miss TWO WEEKS of not having a comp. ^_^ Funny review! My parents where the ones to get edgy. They think I go on the computer too much.

Narouki: Author's opinion? Wow! (Blushes) Didn't know it was THAT great! ^_^ Thankies mucho!

Rani: Thankies! (Blush)

AA Battery: Thanks! I'll write soon and fast! ^_^

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Chapter 10: Love: A gain for a loss

"He doesn't tell me anything! I can see he's paining. But he never wants me to know! Why?" she yells.

"Maybe he loves you." Old Peter requested to her. Celena turned her face to him, eyes longing.

"Oh I wish he could say so. If only..." the old man came to her and hugged her in a fatherly way.

"You love him a lot, don't you?" Celena nodded and cried into his shoulder. He patted her back to calm her. "I'll see what I can do when I talk with him."

Celena looked to him and dried her tears. "You would help me?"

The merchant smiled down to her. "Sure I will!"

She smiled back and gave him a hug. "Thank you."

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Somewhere out of Freid, a knight of Austoria practices his swordmenship outside his Mansion. A servant comes to him to ask if someone would talk to the knight. He allows the 'someone' to come forth and talk. Mole Man comes to him.

"I have some important news Allen..."

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Dillandau sat underneath a willow, eyes shadowed from the pleasant sun. 'I can't believe I just did that! The Fear in her eyes! She was frightened of ME! Now I don't deserve to protect her. I can't hold her anymore... Why do I even have feelings for her!' He hit his fist on the tree in frustration. "Why do I even care?" He yelled out loud, took out his sword and hit the tree.

"Maybe it's because you love her." An old voice sounded behind him. Dillandau turns around and sees the old merchant in front of him. He sheathes his sword.

"I cannot love her. I'm not her brother." He said grimly.

"You can still love and be not of her own kin."

"Do you think its...love?"

The merchant nodded.

"But how do you love? I mean, what made me be in love?"

"You mean fall in love." The old man corrected.

"Fall?"

"No one actually knows how they got to be in love. You just...fall for it."

"But how do you know if it's 'love' I'm feeling?"

"Ok, when you're around her, what do you feel?"

"Feel? Uh...I get this urge, I guess." The young man felt like he wanted to bust out, to confess of what he held in himself for so long. But he kept it inside.

"An urge to..." the old merchant tried to make the conversation go a little longer.

Then the Albino lost control. "When she cries, I want to wipe every tear off her delicate face. I want to eliminate every fear or hurt from her. I want her to be happy. To let her show that goofy child-like smile she always has. To see her crystal-sapphire orbs sparkle in both moonlight and sunlight, or even starlight! Then when the urge grows stronger like fire, I want to hold her, protect her. But my knees feel like they're going to give way at any second. I feel weak at her sight, even if I want to be strong for her. And when I do falter, I want her soft warm arms to be around me... Is that enough?" he looked at the man strait in the eyes.

All the merchant could do was just stare. "Child, you got it bad!"

"I know," Dillandau hung his head in shame. "But I cannot be with her after what I done."

"Done, boy?" He knew that there was no wrong in trying to protect one's self.

"Don't you remember!?" The Albino looked back at him, almost in rage. "There was fear in her eyes! FEAR!! Fear of me..." he sighed. "Even if I love her, she cannot love me back. I mean, she's a noble."

The merchant talked back as soon Dillandau was done, as if to finish an already finished sentence. "And sometimes nobles marry commoners. Have you ever heard the story of King Gaou and his love for a commoner?"

The young man began to think in his mind. 'It sound familiar, but it doesn't ring a bell.' "No."

The man cleared his throat. "Well, King Gaou one day met a young woman named Varie in the marshes. Till that day, he loved her ever since. Soon he planned to get marred to that woman, but his advisers told him that he shouldn't. King Gaou ignored their preachings and married the girl. Since then, they lived happily, or so it goes to the tale I heard."

"But it was the king who was the noble, not a girl. Plus, she probably hates me, fears me mostly."

The merchant smiled. "Oh I doubt that! She maybe loves you back. But in order to know you have to prove your love to her." The old coot started to walk away. Dillandau gleamed with hope.

"Do you think so? How can I prove it?" he yelled to the man.

"That is what you must learn on your own." Then the old merchant was out of sight.

The young man somewhat lost hope. 'How do you prove what you feel?' Slowly, he walked back to the village.

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The tall and long-blond haired knight quickly stood up in astonishment.

"Is it her? Are you sure?" the knight asked the mole man with excitement in his eyes.

"Would I ever lie to you?" The man looked at Moleman, his eyes turned to a matter-of-factly. Moleman gave a dry cough. "About your sister of course."

"Then again, maybe I don't believe you." The knight sighed and flopped back on his chair.

"But I swear! With my own two eyes, I did!" the mole man pleaded.

"Where is she?" he asked calmly.

'Good, he trusts me.' "The last time I saw her was at the border of Freid with an Albino boy..."

"What, an Albino boy? Was he keeping her hostage? Did he hurt her?" The knight was enraged.

'Now to get my revenge on that arrogant Emaous's son.' "The young man was being a little ruff on her. I couldn't take her back with me for fear of her captor, Sir Allen." He tried to look frightened, in order to make his tale seem true.

"What did he look like, the Albino?" Allen asked quickly.

"He had red eyes like blood. Silver hair and pale skin. That is all I can remember." Allen stood up and started walking to the halls of the house of Schezar. Moleman began to follow. "Where are you going, Sir Allen?"

Allen seemed to stare at nothing, but then he finally talked back. "To find my long lost sister and eliminate this fiend who captors her." Moleman gave a sly smile.

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Dillandau strolled along the main street of the market place. He looked down so that no one saw his eyes. Thoughts of that day replayed in his head.

~ She probably hates me, fears me mostly. ~

# Oh I doubt that! She maybe loves you back. But in order to know you have to prove your love to her. #

'But HOW can I prove it? There's no way she could love me... a demon... a monster... a ghost.' He looked up and saw the people of the village. A couple caught his eye for a moment. He saw the pair looking at a Jewelry Cart. The young lady held up a necklace, but she seemed to have no money, so she walked away, a little disappointed. The man that was with her secretly bought it. He surprised her when he put the necklace around her neck. She smiled brightly and kissed him on the lips.

Dillandau was a little astonished by their behavior. 'Is this what lovers do? Buy things for each other and touch lips? It seems to be corky to me!' He looked away from the couple and started walking again. He thought again about his situation. 'Should I just tell her my feelings? That would be a good idea. But what if she doesn't believe me? I guess her doubt would just haunt me forever then.' The young man noticed the small house of the merchant in front of him as if his legs brought him there unconsciously.

"Well, here it goes!" he said out loud and walked in the door. The old man stood in the kitchen, preparing for his daily stroll in the market. Dillandau came to him. "Do you know where Celena is?" The man's old ears perked up and smiled at him.

"She's helping me clean my room upstairs."

Dillandau gave a respectful bow and headed to the second level of the house. He saw a door cracked open and heard a sweet humming voice in the room. The Albino stopped in his tracks. 'I didn't know she could sing!' he walked quietly to the door. Dillandau knocked with his shaky hand. Celena stopped humming in an instant.

"Come in."

Dillandau walked through the door. The young woman was making the bed. When Dillandau came closer, Celena stopped and could tell that it was he. Yet she didn't want to turn around to look at him. 'I had enough from him. I'm not going to talk until he tells me that he loves me. I know he does.'

The Albino stood there for quite a while. 'There's no turning back now.' Silence still dominated the room and Celena was getting impatient. "Celena,...I want to tell you..."

'Here it comes!' Celena thought hopefully.

"That I'm sorry about this morning."

Celena gave a slight sigh of disappointment. 'Dream on, Celena. He's never going to love you.'

Celena's silence was as loud as the biggest foghorn to Dillandau's ear. 'Just say it, Damit!' "And that I'm sorry for not noticing the feelings I had for you..."

Celena's eyes sparkled with hope. Although Dillandau didn't see her face for she still had her back to him.

"I didn't even know the word, until I met you. Celena... When I'm with you, my whole world goes into chaos and all that I'm left with to see is you. You and your sparkling sapphire eyes. Your radiant hair. Your porcelain skin... I LOVE your smile. The way you walk and talk. And how you make a cloudy night seem like a clear day. Your warm and kind heart makes me fall for you. 'Your going a little too far Dillandau!' Wha...what I mean is..is that...I love you Celena..."

From Dillandau's point of view, Celena still ignored him. But actually, Celena stood in awe. A familiar tear rolled down her face.

'She doesn't believe you. She doesn't love you back.' The young man turned around and headed to the doorway, heartbroken.

Celena gave a last cry of his name. The Albino turned around to look at her. The young noble turned too, showing her tear. 'Now you done it Albino, you made her cry!' "Celena!" Just as Dillandau called her back, she ran to him, arms encircling his waist. "Celena, please don't cry." He lifted her chin to him and wiped her tears.

"Dillandau, you don't know how long I waited to hear that one word from you!" She smiled at him. He put his arms around her waist and Celena moved her arms to his neck. "Dillandau, I love you too." She reached up and kissed the young man on the lips. Dillandau was surprised at this action, but it felt so right.

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The next day, Allen finally came to the town Moleman described. He asked every person in the village about an albino with a young woman. Few seemed to see him, but when he got to a bar near the street of the market, the bar tender told him about a palely young man with a young woman going to spend the night at the old merchant's place. The knight asked him where it could be found and the tender answered. Allen thanked the man and went on his way.

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Dillandau decided to take a morning walk by himself again, leaving Celena to sleep more on the couch. Before leaving, he walked to the noble and gave her a light goodbye kiss on the cheek. She twitched yet still slept. He laid his cloak on her just to make sure she was warm enough. Once he stepped outside, the Albino closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the fresh morning air.

"Good morning sir! May I have a little chat with you?" Dillandau turned around and saw a man in his twenties taking out his sword from his sheath. He had long blond hair and blue eyes much like Celena's. Dillandau already knew who the man is by his snob like composure.

"Allen? Is that you? Or should I say SIR Allen!" The young man said sarcastically.

The knight looked at him more closely. 'He looks familiar. Sounds familiar too.' Then he ran to the albino at an attacking speed. Dillandau knew what he was going to do and swiftly got out his sword from his sheath too. The sound of metal to metal rang in the air. "Where is my sister, Dirt!?" Their swords made a shape of an 'X'.

Dillandau gave him a glare. 'I know that glare! "It's HIM!" Allen yelled and jumped back.

"Oh so NOW you know! I was wondering if you forgotten about me." Allen took an angry slash at him, but the albino ducked, cutting away a few hairs.

"Tell me where you're keeping my sister THING! NOW!" Dillandau blocked another blow.

"What if I said no?" the Albino said, 'I'll tease him a bit.' giving the knight a snickering smile.

"Then I'll have to kill you," he said in a low and haunting voice.

The young man smiled 'Well, I'm not yet ready to hand her over to you!' Just then, Allen's moves quickened pace and it seemed to go too fast for the Albino. Allen tricked Dillandau into thinking that the knight would back away again, but instead he lunged forward colliding his sword into the young man's arm. Dillandau gave a yelp of pain, but he kept on going. A small pool of his blood was made on the ground. His eyes burned of rage and determination. Allen saw the fire within the boy. It bewildered him. The Albino has a good enough will power to fight, but all he's doing is parrying, dodging, and blocking. He did nothing to hurt the knight.

"Why don't you fight me like a real sword fighter, boy?"

"It's not for you to know."

Sir Allen noticed something else, the Albino eyes held some kind of softness. 'Is there something going on between the demon and my sister?' The knight attacks grew more powerful.

"Is it because of Celena that you're such a softy?" He said slyly.

Dillandau got a bit of a shock. 'That snob thinks I'm soft because of her?' "No."

"Liar!" The knight yelled and pushed down the Albino with the blunt side of his sword. When Dillandau fell, his sword got knocked out of his grip. So the pure sword, unstained with blood was lying far from the young man's reach. Before Dillandau could even get up, Allen had the tip of his sword close to the boy's temple. "I'll spare you, thing. If you just stay away or even look at my sister from now on."

'I would rather die!' No response came out of the Albino's mouth. But his trademark glare showed.

Allen went to the boy's sword and examined it for a moment. Dillandau slowly got up to his feet. He still ached from the fight, especially his arm that still bled. The knight gave the sword back. His own was still in hand just in case. The Albino sheathed the sword. "Now, if you would most kindly leave." Allen asked.

"Oh how gentlemanly of you!" Dillandau gave a mocking bow, a little stiff from pain. He then started to walk away. But just as Allen got into the house, the young man hid in the shadows in between the house and building in order to get his last forbidden look at his lover.

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Celena suddenly woke up from a dream. There were pictures of swords clashing with no reason and sounds so real that it could've been true. These pictures drift in her mind before they faded away into the abyss of her memory. She is being picked up and put down by strong arms.

The girl turns to him. "Dil..." But it isn't Dillandau. A warm smile crosses over the man's familiar face. Celena jumps for him and he swings her around. "Allen! Allen Allen Allen! You came! You're here!" Her face changed into a childish frustrated look. "What took you so long?" He laughed.

"I'm sorry." He held her close. "Really, I am. I should've never let you leave me!"

She dug her face into his shoulder. "It's ok. I missed you a ton, brother."

"Me too." He moved her arms length. "We must hurry, now!" The knight grabbed a cloak that was lying on the couch and put it on Celena.

"But why? I want you to meet someone!" She asked just as Allen grabbed her hand with a jerk to the door.

"Later! I just need you to be at home as soon as we can, ok?"

Celena nodded and ran with her brother. The young woman wondered if she would ever see Dillandau again. Just then, her foot touched something liquid. Red stained her poorly made shoe that was given by the Zaibech. It was blood. 'But why is there a puddle of it near the house?' A trail of red was leading into the shadows in between the house and building. She saw a glint of silver and felt a kiss from far away. Before Celena could walk to it, Allen grabbed her and started running again. She looked at her brother with a questioning look, waiting for an answer. He said nothing and will never say anything eather. All Celena could do was guess.

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The merchant hummed as he pushed the cart. But once he caught sight of red, he ran into the house shouting the teen's names.

"Calm down! There's nothing to worry, old man." The cold voice startled the merchant. He turned and saw Dillandau coming into the house. His shirt wrapped around an arm.

"What do you mean 'there's nothing to worry about'? There are blood pools out there, Celena's missing, and why do you have your shirt on your arm?" Old Peter argued.

"I said CALM DOWN!" The merchant quickly shut his mouth. Dillandau silently made his way to the washroom and closed the door on the man's face. Peter went back outside to put away his cart. When coming back inside, Dillandau stiffly walked out of the door with a new cloak and a bandage where his shirt was. The old man could tell what he was doing.

"You can't run away from your troubles, Dillandau."

"I don't care." He started walking again.

"Where will you go then?"

The young man snickered a bit. "I'll wonder around. Maybe I'll be a mercenary, I don't know." He turned to the merchant, throwing a gold coin to him. "Sorry for the trouble, old man." The young man said smiling.

"No problem! Hay, promise me you'll visit when you're around."

"I promise!" Dillandau waved and started on his unknown journey. He looked beyond, but how can he live with this ache inside of him? He doesn't know. But he'll live...for her. And because of the sapphire-eyed girl, he knows how to live... and love.

To be continued in the second part of this story: Battle of Hearts...

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AN: FINNALY I'm at the halfway point! ^.^ Plz Review! Oh, and don't forget to look for the second part!