okay, just for the record, I detest writing waff. I don't think I do it very well, even though I am a die-hard romantic. So, gomen nasai in advance for my cruddy romance skills.
Chapter Sixteen: Love's Embrace
I'm gonna smile
'Cause I want to make you happy
Laugh
So you can't see me cry
I'm gonna let you go in style
And even if it kills me I'm gonna smile
-Lonestar, 'Smile'
Aelita followed Jeremie down the staircase and out into the sunlit garden. She was vaguely reminded of their previous encounter in this very same place, but this seemed different somehow.
Jeremie led her in deeper so as to be sure they were totally alone. There was a stone bench under a willow tree and he gestured for Aelita to be seated upon it. She did so and waited, looking at him expectantly.
The Prince walked over and plucked a flower delicately. He held it before himself and studied it, twirling it's stem to make it turn in slow, jerky motions.
After what seemed like a long pause he directed his attention to the maidservant.
"You said that when I found my special someone I should let her know." Aelita could have sworn she heard the splash from her heart hitting her stomach. She had tried to steel herself to the idea, but it still stung. She made an attempt to remain calm and composed, staring at him evenly as he continued.
"I have found her, and she is the one I want to be my queen." Aelita's heart gave another lurch. She forced herself to smile at him. The maidservant rose.
"I'm happy for you. I'm sure she will make an excellent queen."
"Oh, she will. She is insightful, kind, wise and brave. I love her very much." Aelita summoned all her self-control and focused it on not crying.
'It's not like he could marry you anyway,' she chided herself.
"That's good," she told him earnestly, willing her voice not to crack. Jeremie beamed at her.
"I knew you would agree." In a shy motion and blushing furiously, he stepped forward and handed her the flower.
Aelita took it in stunned silence. Obviously this was some kind of thank you for the advice. But she didn't want the flowers, she wanted him.
"I suppose you should tell your father, so that you can break the engagement to Yumi," she mused. Aelita had stopped looking at his face. Instead she was staring at the flower as though it was her life line, the only thing keeping her from breaking down.
He blinked, still quite red. "But I'm sure it would go better if you were there too!"
Aelita shook her head slowly with her eyes still locked on the flower. "No, I wouldn't be much help. He would never listen to a servant."
Jeremie looked hurt. "But if he saw you and saw how much I care about you he may be more willing to break the engagement. You are, after all, the one I want to marry!"
Aelita blinked in realization. Her heart floated back up to it's normal position. She had read the situation entirely wrong! He did love her! Aelita smiled at him and he gave an unsure smile back, obviously still confused.
"Of course! It would go better if I was there, you're right." Jeremie smiled in relief.
"But there is one thing," she continued. He face fell slightly. "That was not a proper proposal at all."
Jeremie laughed and got down on one knee before her, blushing again. he took her hand, small in comparison to his own and looked up at her. "Aelita," he started. "Will you maryy me?"
Aelita pulled him up and embraced him. "Yes!"
-----
Yumi, meanwhile, had continued to fight with Sissy. Odd had his ear pressed to the door to hear the argument. "You don't want to hear what they're talking about," he asked Ulrich.
The other guard shook his head emphatically. "I'd rather not."
"It concerns you," Odd taunted. "Sissy is currently threatening to have you shipped back to Japan post haste so she can hog tie Yumi and drag her to the alter." Ulrich raised an eyebrow. "Okay, so it's not that bad. She is thinking about having you sent back though."
"I doubt that spoiled brat Princess could do anything of the sort," Ulrich told him.
"Easy buddy, she may be your sister-in-law someday," Odd teased. Ulrich's face grew dark.
"There is no way Yumi would ever marry me. Princess and guard aren't two positions that mix."
"Kitchen-boy is out there with Aelita right now," Odd defended.
Though the nickname was new to him, Ulrich knew who Odd had to be talking about."No doubt talking to her, nothing more," Ulrich scolded him.
The other guard shrugged. "If you say so. Still, you might want to hear this." Ulrich shot a glance up and down the corridor and joined Odd at the door.
-----
"I can marry whoever I want," Yumi fumed.
"So you are willing to defy your father and sacrifice your honor to do it? Will you break an engagement and soil our family's good name? You will never been queen this way!"
Yumi stopped. "I don't want to be queen," she said softly. She shifted her gaze to Sissy as the epiphany dawned on her. "I want to be happy. It was never my intention to rule over Japan and France." Yumi started laughing. It was a wild laugh, that of someone who is tired of fighting.
"I'm not even a good princess! How could I ever hope to be a good queen?"
Sissy had drawn back from her. "Yumi, get ahold of yourself! You're the eldest! You are meant to rule, not me!"
Yumi quieted. She sagged down into the chair. "Of course. But it's not what's most important to me right now."
Sissy looked concerned for her sister. "Yumi, I had no idea how hard this was on you. I'm sorry." She sighed and looked as though she were about to regret a decision she knew was right. "Marry whomever you wish. Be happy."
Yumi looked shocked. She leapt up and embraced her sister. "I just have to figure out who that is."
"You can do it," Sissy assured her. "Just follow your heart."
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Sorry for the lack of updates guys! High school has me in it's iron grip and I've yet to adjust to the workload. And unfortunately I need at least eight hours of sleep to function properly the next day, so my typing time has cut down majorly. This will be finished though, I promise! The good news is I am taking French so hopefully my newer CL stories will have some of that mixed in.
Also, my site is still open for submissions (hint hint, lol). Salut!