A/N: Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers! Sadly, this is one of the last chapters of this story, as this story is winding down. But don't worry, there'll be plenty of action before the end. Oh, and for all of your who were wondering, yes, we do see Shadow's reaction to the proposal in this chapter. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: None of this is mine.
Everything She Ever Wanted: Chapter 9
"I know this must seem extremely forward of me, but I must ask." He looked Nara straight in the eye. "Lady Nara of Kudarung Falls, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
Nara stared at him as the tavern became deathly silent. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath, waiting for an answer. Sir Daniel shifted, looking uncomfortable, but Nara was frozen in shock. Footsteps vibrated on the rough wood; the next second, Shadow appeared, confused by the silence. He looked around, but everyone seemed to be staring at Nara and this unknown man.
"What's going on?" He asked, afraid to know the answer.
Daniel turned to stare at this newcomer, and then decided to answer when the silence continued. "I just asked Lady Nara to marry me." He cast Nara an uncomfortable look. "She has yet to answer."
Nara looked up, and the fleeting glance Shadow gave her was heart-breaking. His green eyes betrayed his pain, sadness and shock. Without a word, he turned and plunged back into the crowd. Giving Nara an accusing stare, Haunt got up and went after him, sighing in exasperation.
Daniel shifted again, and Nara realized he was still waiting for her answer. "Sir Daniel," she murmured, flustered, eyes lowered, "I'm flattered by this offer." She saw Daniel's face brighten, but then darken as she continued. "I'm currently in mourning for my husband and brother." She indicated her clothes, knowing that no courting was allowed during a mourning period for a widow. "When my mourning is done in a month, I will again consider your offer."
Daniel nodded, pacified. "Forgive me for not realizing you were in mourning milady. If I had known, I would have waited until the proper time."
Nara nodded, and waited for the crowd to disperse, and when they had returned to their normal activities, she hurried after Shadow.
Shadow paced his room, looking angrier than Haunt had ever seen him. "What is she thinking?" He asked no one in particular, seething.
Haunt watched him pace, then asked calmly, "Do you love her?"
This brought Shadow to a halt, and he turned on his friend. "What are you getting at, Glissana?"
The use of her real name told Haunt to tread to lightly, but she disregarded her gut's advice and returned harshly, "Don't lie to me, Nirav, we've known each other too long. Do you love her?"
Shadow slowed, but then resumed pacing, faster than before. "Yes," he admitted softly, "and that's the problem."
Haunt raised one silvery eyebrow. "Have you told her?"
Shadow shook his head. "Once, in the heat of an argument, but I don't think she took it seriously."
Haunt shook her head. Men. "You need to tell her." Sometimes, stating the obvious was the only way to get through to her thickheaded friend.
Shadow shook his head, his expression melting from anger to sullen in a heartbeat. "You saw that noble downstairs," he spat. "How am I to compete with that?"
A moment later, he was pacing again, once again enraged. "How can she do this to me?"
"Do what?" A new voice interrupted his rant, and Shadow froze, his green gaze fixing on the defiant form of Nara in the doorway. Haunt slipped out, knowing she shouldn't be there. She didn't need to be privy to this conversation to know how it was going to turn out.
"Do what?" Nara repeated. Shadow stared, his mouth working wordlessly as he tried to come up with some excuse.
"Nothing," he finally muttered, harsher than he meant. He saw Nara frown, and he braced himself for the coming argument, deciding to beat her to it.
"Where's your noble fiancé?" He snarled, turning his back on her.
"Is that what this is all about?" Nara asked, her confusion beginning to clear. "Shadow, he's not my fiancé."
Shadow spun around, the hope in his green eyes lighting up his face. "You refused him?" His heart broke again as Nara shook her head.
"I told him I would consider his request." She said quietly, now regretting that decision.
"Then go ahead," Shadow whispered, sounding broken. Nara reached out to lay a hand on his shoulder, but he shied away from her touch. "Go, you have your old life back." His voice broke with emotion as he muttered, "May the gods give you everything you ever asked for."
Nara's heart broke as she heard the pain in his voice, and she reached out to him one more time. "Shadow…"
"Get out of here!" Shadow snapped, hurt. Nara left wordlessly, tears pricking at her eyes and not knowing why she was so hurt by Shadow's pain.
Shadow watched Nara and Daniel tour Corus, his blood boiling in his veins. After her six months of mourning were up, she had reverted to usual bright colors, and she looked beautiful. But along with the end of her mourning period came the beginning of her courtship with Daniel. Anyone from the Dove could tell you that Nara was seriously considering Daniel's proposal, and that Shadow was less than happy about it.
In order to make sure this man didn't hurt the woman he loved, Shadow had taken to following them whenever they went out, making sure to stay out of sight. He didn't know how Nara would react if she caught, and he didn't want to find out.
Daniel is attentive, that at least I can give him, Shadow growled to himself, watching with loathing as Daniel escorted Nara to the Dove's yard. The knight was staying at a tavern a few streets over, and would often retire there after he had finished escorting Nara around their part of Corus.
He crept closer as Daniel beckoned to one of his servants, his trusted valet. "Sir?" The valet asked, bringing his master's stallion forward.
"Jon," Daniel murmured, "you know that Lady Nara is expecting, do you not?"
"Yes, sir." The confused valet replied while Shadow's blood boiled at the mention of his foster child.
"Well," Daniel continued in a low voice, "when Nara finally consents to marrying me, and the brat is born, I want to you take the babe away from the nursemaids."
"Sir?" Jon asked, obviously concerned. "Take the babe away?"
"Yes," Daniel hissed, his voice cold. "Take the babe away, and kill it."
"Sir?" The valet asked, clearly startled.
"You heard me." Daniel sneered, looking crueler than Shadow had ever seen him. "I won't have some other's man's child ruining the Falcon's Harbor lineage."
"Yes, sir." The obedient servant murmured, helping his master onto the stallion.
It took all of Shadow's self control not to leap out and kill the lying man right where he stood, but he held himself still. His blood boiled with rage at the way the scum had talked about his child. Yes, so the child in Nara's womb wasn't his, but he had considered it his since the day she asked him to be the foster father. He wanted to go kill the man in the dead of night, but he knew that Nara needed to hear this. He slid away, still plotting.
Nara walked along the Corus marketplace's street, arm and arm with Daniel. She was enjoying the sunshine and the fact that she wasn't feeling sick at all. For the past few days though, she had noticed someone following her. The speck of black that had detached itself from the side of the Dove had gotten increasingly closer, and she had a good idea of who it was.
"I saw something over here," she murmured to Daniel, slipping her arm out of his. "I'm going to have a closer look."
"Do you want me to come with you?" Daniel asked, his face creasing in concern.
Nara gave him a slight smile. "No, that's all right. I'll just be a minute."
Hurrying away, she was relieved to find he didn't follow. She liked Daniel, but sometimes his hovering could get annoying. Like Shadow's protectiveness. Her smile slid off her face as she ducked down a side alley, her silver skirts swirling as she walked.
Leaning against a wall, she looked around. "Shadow," she said quietly, "I know you're around here somewhere, so come on out." A black blur hurtled down from above; a second later, Shadow was standing before her, glaring much as he had back when she had just joined the Rouge.
"What are you doing?" She hissed, getting right up in his face. "Why are you following me?"
"Nara, Daniel's not who you think he is." Shadow pleaded, his green eyes sharp.
"Don't try that with me, Shadow," Nara hissed, turning away. "It won't work."
"Nara, will you just listen to me?" Shadow begged, grabbing her arm. Nara tried to twist out of his grip, but as before, he used his strength and height as an advantage and wouldn't let her free. Nara debated using force to make him let go, but she knew she could never hurt him.
"What, Shadow?" She finally spat. "What could be so important that you have to follow me constantly?"
Shadow looked at her, and a million emotions seemed to fly across his face: Pain, anger, betrayal, pleading, forgiveness, joy and love. The next second he had pulled Nara into his arms and kissed her fiercely.
Nara's heart flew into her mouth as she kissed him back, winding her hands through his long black hair. She kissed him passionately, and he returned with equal ardor. They stayed like that until the need for air caused them to part, and Nara realized where they were.
"I love you," Shadow murmured softly, capturing her lips again, gently. Nara pushed him away, tears pricking her eyes at her confused emotions.
"Shadow, we can't," she choked out, and Shadow stepped back as if she had slapped him.
"Why not?" He demanded fiercely, his hand gripping her chin, forcing her to meet his pained green gaze.
"Daniel…" was all the Nara needed to say, and Shadow released her in disgust.
"So that's how it is." He spat, glaring at her.
Nara whirled around, refusing to answer. She made her way back to Daniel, hoping to the gods that Shadow wouldn't follow. Tears pricked her eyes; she was so confused. She wanted to shut herself in her room for an age and sort out her feelings, but she didn't have that luxury.
Her hopes were dashed as she heard footsteps behind her; she knew Shadow's tread as well as her own. She kept her eyes on Daniel, who was looking confused at the sight of her uninvited guest.
"Nara, what is he doing here?" Her suitor demanded, glaring at Shadow with as much loathing as Shadow was staring at him.
"He followed me." She snapped.
Then she heard Shadow voice behind her, taunting. "Yes, Sir Daniel," he mocked. "What are you going to do? Get rid of me like you're planning to get rid of her child?"
"What?" At that, Nara wheeled around, but Shadow was staring murderously at Daniel, a dare in his eyes.
Nara's shriek had drawn the attention of several shoppers, but she ignored their stares and rounded on Daniel. "Is that true?" She hissed dangerously, and the dazed look in Daniel's eyes gave her all the answer she needed.
"No!" He protested, "I was never going to kill your child." He shook his head, trying to regain his smooth demeanor after that unexpected blow. "I might send it away, maybe but--"
That was as far as he got. The next thing he knew, something solid connected with his nose, and he stumbled backwards, clutching his bloody nose. He stared incredulously at Nara, who was shaking her hand to get the feeling back in it.
"Don't ever come near me again," she hissed, blue-black eyes glittering dangerously. Shadow looked on, triumph written all over his features, until Nara rounded on him.
"And you!" She shrieked, enraged. "You knew and you didn't tell me?" Shadow lifted his hands to ward off an attack, but Nara merely glared at him and stormed off, back to the Dancing Dove, tears running down her face.
Feeling as if he had done nothing but at the same time feeling guilty, Shadow went to the only person who could explain what was going on: His mother.
"Oh, Nirav." His mother sighed when he was done with his story. "What have you done?"
Shadow stared at her, perplexed, but she merely smoothed her hair out and stared at him. "Did it ever occur to you that Nara would have liked to have been told what was going to happen?" A slight smile lit her lips as she continued, "Nara is an independent woman. She doesn't want to be sheltered and coddled. You should know that."
Shadow nodded, remorseful. He should have known, but he acted with his heart, not his head, and he had lost because of it. Before his mother could unravel more womanly mysteries for him, a clatter in the courtyard made both look up.
Shadow was halfway out of his seat when Nara appeared, deathly pale and looking like she was in immense pain.
Her black hair was falling out of its elaborate knot, and her blue-black eyes were frantic. Shadow leapt to help her, their argument forgotten, and she leaned into him as she grimaced in pain again.
With one hand clutching her belly, she looked up at Althea. "Thea," she gasped, "I need help. I think the baby's coming!"
A/N: Cliffy!So, did you like that chapter? Tell me what you thought by pressing that little button down there! Please review, and no flames!