Chapter 3

Confessions

ARRRGGGHHH! THE KEYBOARD'S STILL TALKING TO MEEE! SHUT UP! (throws pillow at keyboard) BACK EVIL BEAST! BACK, I SAY! please read, before it eeeeaaaaattttsss meeeeee!

Albel drummed his fingers impatiently against the wooden table in the library. 'Wait here' was all they had said, with evil grins in their eyes. Scheming maggots. What were they up to?

At that moment, the door opened and Nel walked in, a slightly bewildered look on her face. Albel's heart quickened. She looked round, and her gaze rested on him. His heart was pounding now, he wondered if she could hear it.

"Albel? What are you doing here?"

"Same goes to you."

"Fayt told me there was someone in here who wanted to talk to me." She paused. "Hang on, you said you wanted to see me yesterday. Why?"

"Nothing important." He was too scared to tell her.

"Albel…" she sat down in front of him, concerned. Reaching out, she took his good hand in hers, her emerald eyes looking directly at him. I'm going to have a heart attack at this rate, he thought.

"It's nothing." He pulled away and looked away.

"Please…"

He refused to look at her. Was that…concern?…he heard in her voice? No one had every felt anything but fear and hate for him since…

"Albel?"

This time he did look up at her, and sighed. All right. Now or never. "I…I've been thinking…about….you," he said hesitantly, choosing each word carefully. What if she laughed at him? Shouted at him? What if she kissed him?

"And…?"

"And, well, I…" he stumbled, took a deep breath, and blurted out "I love you."

He cringed, expecting at any moment for her to hit him. But she didn't. She just stared at him. He almost wished she would hit him, or shout, or do anything other than just sitting there in damned silence!

I love you. Those words echoed in Nel Zelpher's mind as she stared at the man in front of her. He loved her? Actually cared for her? It was impossible, yet…he had been acting weird, and not just yesterday. Now that she thought about it, he had been acting strange ever since they had picked her up to help fight the Creator. He had only let her heal him, and had only agreed to learn runology when she offered to teach him.

But that was more than a year ago. He couldn't possibly…could he?

She looked into his eyes. He seemed sincere. But how did she feel?

She thought back to the dreams that had started a month ago, ever since Elena married the king, and the queen had asked her if she would ever get married. She had laughed then, but then the dreams had started. She shivered as she saw again those crimson eyes. Only now, they were right in front of her. Did she...?

She slapped him.

"Ow! What was that for?"

She stood up and started pacing about. "You idiot! Do you know how hard this could be! We're mortal enemies, for Apris' sake!I can't be seen walking around with the man who slaughtered thousands of my subordinates, my best friends...I can't love you!"

Albel's heart sank.Leaning forwards, he hidhis eyes, trying to appear indifferent. You never expected it to happen, did you, he thought. He had been so sure...

Nel bent down, tilting his head back gently, brushing his hair from his eyes. In a softer voice, she whispered, "Doesn't meanI don't."

He blinked, then his eyes lit up and he grinned. It was a proper grin, the first she had ever seen from him. It made him so much handsomer and alive.

"Really?" It seemed she wasn't the only one who had lost her voice today.

She nodded.

Laughing, he swept her up and started to dance with her, spinning, his braids flying behind him. He kissed her, briefly, and she felt as light as air. They spun once more, but the happy moment was interrupted as Cliff burst into the room.

"It's okay, now. You can come out…wow. Didn't know you could dance. I er…umm…why are you looking at me like that? What did I do? Oh no…HELP! THEY'RE GONNA KILL ME! MOMMY! HEEEEELP! "

(looks around) i'm still alliiieevveee! woooh! jeez, though, i really put poor albel out of his evil butt-kicking character...nel too...

Anyway. you see that little box down there? the one that says 'submit review'. yeah? well, i want you to check that it says exactly that, not 'report abuse'. okay? check again, that's it... now, press that button there, not that one, that's the abuse one...that's it, the one that says go...and well done! now just say something helpful/annoying/nice/etc. love you all. byeee!