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Chapter 15

Years passed…

The faint chatter of the guests could just be heard, drifting in from somewhere beyond those huge wooden doors. It was quiet in the garden. The moonlight shone and caressed the shoulders of a woman, not much older than a girl, standing beneath the tree. The man walked slowly up to her, his footsteps crunching in the frosty night. She turned. Her little pale elfin face was exactly how he remembered it, but with a soft openness to it. Her hair drifted in clouds around her head. Her eyes registered slight surprise.

"Evening, Highness." She greeted the man. "Congratulations on the birth of your first son."

He said nothing, merely kept advancing. Finally, he stood right in front of her and smiled. For a while neither said a word, just smiled and looked. Finally –

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." She turned away from him, gazing out to the moon. Jerrold paused, waiting for her to say something, but she seemed content to follow the moon's path with her eyes.

"El." He put a hand hesitantly on her shoulder, and watched as she jerked away. "El… can we talk?"

"We are." She said smoothly. Jerrold looked at her.

"You're expecting?" He asked.

"Yes." A simple monosyllabic answer, betraying nothing.

"Congratulations." He said automatically.

"Don't say that." She hissed, turning away. "You don't mean it."

Jerrold sighed, turning her to face him.

"No, I don't."

"Then say what you came to say. Say what you do mean." Her face was pale, and her lip quivered. "I won't interrupt." Jerrold was silent. "Tell me how your life has been since five years ago, when we first parted."

He thought for a moment.

"I am a prince. I have a duty. I courted Daria, but she knew that I did not love her. But still, as our parents had decreed, we wed. At first, I liked her. She loved me, but I merely liked her. I did not fall in love with her, as I did you, but I learned to love her."

"What's the difference?" El's voice was barely a whisper.

"Falling in love is exhilarating, and you feel like you cannot live without the person. Learning to love is gradual… it is slightly more than affection… you know that you love the person… but you will never fall in love with them."

"That's sad." Her voice was choked.

"It's real." He chuckled bitterly. "And you?"

She turned away.

"Peter is away most of the time. At least you have love. I do not. Peter is fond of me… and I of him… but that is the limit to our union. My heart has already been taken, and the shards that are left I reserve for my unborn child."

"You say your heart has been taken. By whom?"

El faced him, anger evident in her eyes.

"Need you ask? Was it so long ago that we danced at the ball? Have you forgotten? Are you that obtuse?" The angry light in her eyes died. Jerrold took her hands.

"Will you dance with me? One last dance?"

The strains of music floated into the silent night air, as El stared into Jerrold's eyes. She laid her head on his shoulder and they began to sway dreamily to the music. The moon shone upon them, and the stars flickered.

The song ended, and El remained for a moment on Jerrold's shoulder. Then, she straightened up.

"I must go. Peter will be looking for me."

Jerrold leaned and brushed his lips gently across hers.

"Goodbye." He whispered. She looked at him; her eyes were that of a child's once more.

"Goodbye." She whispered back. Then she turned and walked away regally, like the queen Jerrold had always pictured her.

Before she opened the doors, she looked back once. Jerrold stood in the shadow of night, watching her. As the doors opened, and light illuminated her, he was struck by her sudden resemblance to an angel.

Then she turned and left – a perfect stranger.

The last time Jerrold ever saw her in this world.

-The End-

A/N: Should I do an epilogue where Jerrold hears of her death? Should I not? You tell me. Thank you to andreaaft, who has stuck with me throughout the entire duration of this story. I am rather sad, actually, to see this fanfiction come to a close – it was my first ever. I know it ends rather sadly, but this relationship was doomed from the start – we all knew that right? Well, hugs to everyone who has ever reviewed this story, and an extra big hug to andreaaft.  Cheers guys. Tell me if I should epilogicise. My word. Love you all. Platonically of course.

Slam a revolving door