Chapter 45
Meggie knew what this was as he was kissing her. She knew what it was as their lips parted and he looked at her with something in his eyes that she couldn't quite place. She wasn't exactly sure what he had to tell her, but she knew that it was something that he truly didn't want to tell her as he only continued to focus his gaze on her as if that would fix it somehow. It made her take his face in her hands and never breaking eye contact with him, she made him tell her.
"I don't know what's happening, but you have to tell me what it is. You don't have to worry about me being angry with you if that's what this is. I am here with you, Capricorn, to stand by you always. Even now" exclaimed Meggie her voice soft as she touched her forehead to his. She held him to her in that moment as she spoke, she was preparing herself for whatever this was. Because she knew it wasn't anything good, she knew that by the look he wore as he stared at her trying to find the words, but she really didn't care about that. What worried her was that whatever this was that it would put him in danger and heighten the chance that she might never be with him again. When his forehead touched hers, Meggie knew it would be massive.
"I've got an inside in the Adderheads court…we're right outside the castle now, his castle…it wouldn't be safe for us to visit this way again. This will have to be our last for a while" whispered Capricorn his voice heavy as he buried his face in her neck.
"Capricorn…I…I wasn't expecting you to say that" whispered Meggie, unsure of the words themselves as they left her lips finding that she could only hold him to her as her emotions seemed to built within her.
"I know…I wasn't expecting this to happen either. It pains me to have to ask this of you, my love, but I must. For a short time, we must make this sacrifice…just know that as we are parted, you are always with me. I love you, Meggie. That is one thing that will never leave us" whispered Capricorn his own voice filled with emotion as he seemed to breath her in. Meggie listened to each word he spoke, and she found herself kissing him where she could. She found herself inhaling the scent of him as she suddenly closed her eyes to imprint those things in her mind. What really shook her though was the way he said each word. As if she didn't already know all these things and that made her hold him all the closer. It made her bring him to look at her again.
"I already know all of that, Capricorn, I always have. Even when we're been at our worst, we're always been together, always been deeply in love with each other. That will be our strength now in this time of sacrifice. Eventually, when you conquer the Inkworld our sacrifice will end, and we'll be together again. I'll see you again and you'll see me. And when that time comes…you'll find me here, always waiting, always here waiting to have you here with me…ready to be by your side once more. I am and shall always be here with and for you" said Meggie, her voice clear with no doubt as she caressed his cheek the tears in her eyes beginning to leak down the sides of her face.
"I love you" said Meggie kissing him swiftly before stroking his cheek in her own attempt to sooth him.
"I may be gone months…maybe a year, maybe more…I don't know—" whispered Capricorn as her lips drew away. He was holding her so close now that they were nearly skin to skin in every way. Meggie savored that as she held his face in her hands still holding onto him as she stopped him before he could finish. He seemed to look at her, his eyes asking if she was sure as his lips lay silent, but Meggie knew as she looked intently up at him. She was sure though and had been since the moment she married him. She would stand by him no matter what.
"That doesn't matter…I'll wait as long as I need to…all I ask is a word or two now and again. So, I can know you're alright. That shouldn't be too dangerous, should it?" whispered Meggie accepting his kiss in that moment.
"I'd do it for you, my queen, I could never be separated in every way from you" whispered Capricorn his body directly above hers now. He kissed her deeply then and when they drew apart, Meggie still had tears in her eyes, but then lessoned in that moment. His body covered hers and Meggie knew what they needed, so did he, and neither were prepared to deny the other. They shared a second kiss and when that ended, they both knew the way the rest of this farewell would go. Meggie let her arms wrap around him as she clung to him in what could be their last moments. He began at her throat making a moan leave her almost immediately. She knew what he was going to do. She could feel as he hardened against her thigh then as his hands moved up her sides. When they stopped to come to the front of her dress that was when he pulled away looking at her with an intent fire in his eyes and she heard a distinct rip as he tore open the front of her dress. It made her take a heavy breath as he smiled down at her seconds before claiming her lips. In that moment, Meggie didn't care about her dress, there was only her and him, and that was all that mattered. She just needed him, and he needed her. They knew that as he ripped the dress from her body.
"My king" gasped Meggie tearing his own shirt open as he kissed her with a growl in his throat.
"Capricorn…I love you" whispered Meggie her voice demanding as she arched into his touch as he removed the last shreds of her dress. She felt the touch of his hands on her bare skin as she let her hands touch his chest as the fabric of his shirt was torn free. She could feel him tugging her close as he proved just how desperate he was for her as their kiss deepened. Meggie found herself holding him close to her until her hands cupped his face as her legs spread around him. She held him there as his hands gripped the back of her thighs. Meggie kissed him still as he began to loosen the front of his pants. She knew what was coming, she found herself anticipating it as she clung to him, and they both knew what they were waiting for. They were waiting for that moment when they would come together as was their way. When they would connect soul to soul and as she held his face in her hands kissing him, Meggie felt like that mattered more now as they faced being apart for longer then either of them had ever planned. That seemed to heighten everything about this moment, and he knew it too as he held her as close as he could in that moment. They were both suddenly aware that it had never been this way before.
"I love you…I love you, so much" whispered Meggie as their lips parted only to come together again as they both recognized the importance of this moment. Capricorn knew she wasn't just saying that because she meant it and he knew she did. He knew those words meant more in the face of possibly never seeing him again. Especially in that moment when the potion could fade at any moment and grab this moment from them. When they could part and truly never set eyes upon each other again. Those things kept running through both their minds and it fueled this moment as they clung to each other in this moment. In this kiss.
"I will always love you, my queen, no matter how far I may be. You are mine, forever mine, and I will return to you even with my dying breath" gasped Capricorn the words coming out of nowhere as they moved in a frenzy of hands and lips and body parts and as he made love to her he was highly aware it might be for the last time. That was why he entered her with a swiftness that made her head fall back on a breath. All frenzy left them though as he settled inside her and their eyes met. He looked at her and she at him with love and passion and emotion shared between them. Meggie found herself taking a breath in that moment as she held his face in her hands. He was still inches away from her, but that didn't feel close enough considering the circumstances. Capricorn felt the same as he took her in. Not just the sight of her like this, but the sight of her at all. They were both taking each other in at that moment as sharing a breath, they still didn't move, and Meggie wasn't sure if she wanted to cry or hold him tightly to her. She was tempted to do both the longer she looked at him.
"I love you, so much…you know that, just don't forget that no matter how long you're gone that will not change" exclaimed Meggie needing him to know that as they both pictured the next few weeks, months, years without each other.
"Never, my love…you keep me strong. You will always be the love of my life…don't forget that…ever" whispered Capricorn bringing a hand to her face. Meggie expected him to kiss her lips and he did, but then he continued over her face. To her cheeks, her nose, her forehead. He worshipped the skin of her face whispering his love for her as he did so until she kissed him hard on the lips. Their foreheads touched as they kissed, and Meggie let her legs tighten around him in response.
"I will never love another man…I don't care what happens" gasped Meggie, he could tell in her eyes that she was sincere as they kissed again as he moved inside her now. It was slow this time. There was no frenzy as they began to make love. They were savoring this moment, each touch of the hand tender. Meggie was the same with her touch soft as she gripped his shoulders only her nails scratching lightly over his skin.
"I love you" said Capricorn as he felt the scrape of nails along the back of his neck enjoying the way she pressed herself close as he took control.
"Capricorn" gasped Meggie, their kisses ending with his name as a quiver on her lips.
"Meggie" whispered Capricorn their eyes meeting in that moment letting her see the desperate look that was there that usually came with his end when they made love.
"Capricorn" whispered Meggie in response letting him see her soul as they looked into each other's eyes as she took his face in her hands.
"I love you, Capricorn, I need you to know that. You have to know that if I'm going to let you go away and there's the chance, I might go who knows how long without ever seeing you. I need you to know that that love is never going away because you are the one who has claimed my heart. You will always be that person. You will always be my husband, my heart…my king, and always…always the love of my life. I'll never stop loving you even if you don't come back no man will ever replace you in my heart or anywhere else. I love you" exclaimed Meggie her heart in her eyes along with everything else as those same emotions filled his eyes as he made a final thrust within her.
"I will come back to you, Meggie, I promise you" whispered Capricorn as they came together his lips claiming hers seconds afterward.
As they came down from their high, Meggie felt it first, a quiver of nerves in her stomach that she knew the meaning of. Capricorn felt it next and he looked at her because he knew too. It meant that the potion would wear off soon. Soon they would be apart again. He would be in the Inkworld and she would be back in their castle. The potion was wearing off and there was no stopping it. They both knew that as they lay there with their foreheads touching. Neither of them wanted to say goodbye, they told themselves it wouldn't be goodbye, but they were both afraid that it was. They didn't know when they'd be together again or see each other again. That weighed on them in that moment.
"I'll miss you every day you're gone" said Meggie gently her eyes closing for just a moment. She touched his cheek when her eyes opened. Meggie tried to smile though she didn't know if it was for him or to keep the tears away, but it didn't work. They clouded her vision anyway. Capricorn felt a tightness in his chest as he looked down at her. It felt like his heart was in a vice and he could feel it pounding as he looked at her unsure what to say in this moment. He loved her so much and even he found himself hiding the tears as they gathered in his eyes. He found all he could do was kiss her hand as he prepared to part from her.
"This isn't the end or goodbye, Meggie…I'm closer than I ever was before. I know I'll be back with you soon…not years from now. We will stand together again as king and queen and husband and wife" said Capricorn as his skin began to go numb as the potion faded.
"You are always with me…in my heart, on my mind. I keep you with me always, my queen" said Capricorn his voice breaking for only a moment. He stared right at her not even realizing it as he held her close. He could feel it. He would be fading away soon, he knew that, but despite that he wasn't ready for it. He wanted to stay there with her, but he knew that he had made the decisions to get them here. As he realized that Capricorn knew that was why he held her so close. Because he could have avoided this, but he hadn't. Now, he would make her proud, and return to her a champion.
"I love you" they said it at the same time without meaning to their lips meeting seconds later as he started to fade away. When she opened her eyes again, she was alone again, still dressed in the darkness of their bedroom. As she laid there, she knew everything had changed now, and where before she held back for his sake, she didn't now.
She rolled back onto her side where she had been and began to cry. It would be months, years even before she saw her husband again, and in the meantime, Meggie had to keep his empire alive until they were together again. She only hoped she had the strength within herself to do it.
