An A/U Extra: Prayer
Part 2
I licked my lips, the salty taste of my sweat entering my mouth. It was a hot summer day, about three months into my unintended vacation. But the heat, nor the absence from my home, bothered me. I was in too good of a mood for that.
I could hear my blood pumping through my body and the adrenaline cackling through my veins, craving to be released. I loved this scared feeling in my body that could be created from only the most intimate of moments.
And the most painful.
But fortunately, I'm better than most.
I caught his fist and swung my leg. Time slowed as my knee made contact with his ribcage and he flew back. Time speed up again as he hit the ground but he was back on his feet quickly. I frowned. I know I can hit harder than that. I charged at him, knowing that he would dart up and I jumped to grab his ankle but he was too quick. He slipped through my grasp and up into the cover of the trees.
If we weren't limiting ourselves to physical attacks only, no magic or weapons, I would have summoned up a wind to blow him out of the trees. Instead, I grounded myself, prepared my fists, and closed my eyes. I could hear the chirping of birds, the rushing of the stream nearby, and the light whistle the wind made when it traveled through the trees.
After spending many days with the hot-tempered, sullen man, I had learned that his tongue is sharp, his words can pierce through the strongest armor, and his demeanor intimidate anyone without a single word uttered. I also knew that when he was irritated and resigning himself to something, his nose twitches and that he despises many herbs and berries but loves fish.
I also knew that whenever he is in the room, the temperature rises a few degrees. So I don't listen for him. I feel for him.
A prickling, warm sensation began to crawl up my back and I spun around, my fist narrowly missing his face. He darted to the side and I felt his fist in my gut. I fell backwards, hitting the ground softer than I expected. I caught his oncoming fist and kicked him square in the chest with my foot.
Suddenly my leg felt as though it was on fire, my muscles tightening. I tried not to make a noise as I immediately cradled it. Instantly he was beside me scowling and taking my wounded leg into his strong, rough hands. I bit back a curse as he began to slowly massage my leg.
He didn't say anything but I could see the scolding look in his visage.
"Don't look at me that way," I snapped.
He stared at me steadily, his hands moving on their own. The disapproving look on his face remained. Of course, he was also thinking about how the sparring was not a good idea, how he should have said no, how my leg was nowhere near ready to take that sort of stress.
"I need to get back on my feet! I need my leg to be strong again!" I shot. "You told me, in your world strength and power is everything. In mine it is the same, I will never be respected without it."
"And yet you lack the strength to fight against what plagues you most," he stated pointedly.
His words stung me and I narrowed my eyes at him. "You have no idea what I am going through. You have no idea how much it would hurt to disappoint my father. You don't know anything about me," I responded coldly.
His eyes widened for a moment before becoming hard. "All you do is spend your time bitching about some stupid marriage. There are people who have bigger problems. It's pathetic."
Pathetic? Pathetic? I was not pathetic! Did he not understand who I am? I am Aranel Mîrvana of Alyatavar and the last thing I am is sniveling, whining, and pathetic! My eyes flared open the burning magic came instantly at my call. "Nar!" I yelled, throwing a ball of fire at him.
In retrospect, throwing a ball of fire at anyone who was within an arms distance of me was a bad idea. When you throw it at a fire demon who moves as fast as a bolt of lightning, it's more of an insult than anything. But let's be honest here; I don't really care.
He easily avoided the fire and jumped backwards, snarling. "What the hell do you think you're doing, woman?" He asked sharply.
"What does it look like?" I snarled just as angrily back. I thrust my arm out, "Sûl!" Wind blasted from behind me, billowing my hair around my face. Through the white strands I could see him grounding himself against the wind. Well, let's add a little to the mixing pot, shall we?
"Cemen," I commanded, slamming the palm of my hand into the ground. From my hand, the ground began to crack to where he was standing. His eyes narrowed and he released his stance, allowing the wind to take him backwards. I gritted my teeth, ignoring the pain shooting through my leg, as I pulled myself off the ground.
He was coming for me, I could feel it in the air. I readied the wind and swiveled to meet him as his small form leapt towards me. "Sûl!" I called out and with a sweep of my arms, the wind followed and blew him back. This time, I leapt into the air and I was carried by my wind. He landed hard into a tree and I was practically slammed against him, one of my hands wrapping around his neck and the other extended out, poised to strike.
"Now you listen," I hissed. Anger surged through my veins as his hard red eyes stared back at me. "I am one of the most promising warriors in my country in addition to being extremely intelligent and well learned in the art of magic and alchemy. I have a long way to go but you can bet that by the time I pass away, many will tremble in awe and fear of my name. I am Aranel Mîrvana, High Princess and heiress to the elfin warrior kingdom of Alyatavar and I AM NOT PATHETIC! " I roared.
I breathed heavily, as I glared coldly down at him. He said nothing but an odd expression came over him. I had seen it before, once or twice but I had yet to decipher what his thoughts were behind his wide eyes. But like all his expressions, it quickly disappeared and was replaced with his usual smirk but not his eyes, oh no. His eyes should have been angry or frustrated, but now they glinted at me as though something I said sparked something within him.
"Are you done, woman?" he drawled.
"How dare you!" I screamed. My grip on his throat tighten and his chin raised in discomfort. Good. This foolish man was going to learn his place, whether he liked it or not.
"Oh I dare," he said coolly, "And you can't do anything about it." Before I could respond, my body froze.
Perhaps froze isn't the correct word. It was as though I was cemented in place, my mind screaming for my arm to move but it would not budge. My body should be moving, it should be punching him in the gut right now but it was impossible. My body was muted from its sound and I felt as though it was screaming silently from the sheer agony of the entrapment. But how? When did-
That was when I saw it, the green glow from underneath his bandana. Oh Ancestors, what sort of magic had this eye given him?
"About time you noticed," he said. His smirk grew into a malicious grin and his eyes darkened with something in him I had not seen before. I had been taught that all demons were monsters and beasts, that they were not anywhere close to being human or elfish no matter how much their appearance fooled you. Was this it?
The bandana around his forehead burned off and I could feel his… not magic but power, his scorching power swirling around me. The purple eye glowed eerily with a green light and my fingers around his neck began to pry open. I struggled against him but it was to no avail. Just when I thought things could not get worse, with the third eye open wide, his body began to change.
His skin turned from peach to a sickly green and eyes with purple irises began to open on his chest and arms. Oddly enough, that wasn't the most grotesque part. What really got me was the way that his hands became claws, his hair seemingly split in half down the middle, and the sinister look in his blood red eyes.
In my schooling, I learned that demons were evil creatures who were elves that were cast out and doomed to darkness. Demons now served as a mirror to the current elves, keeping each other in check while humans revolved around us. We stood still as time moved, facing each other but never bothering to examine what the other offered or hid. Instead we looked past each other and as a result, we came to be known as good and kind whereas they were looked down upon as evil incarnate.
I had never considered him to be disgusting or evil. He had saved my life, nursed me back to health, and continued to care for me when it wasn't necessary. He was intimidating, but he never appeared to me like this. He never appeared like… like the demons I met the first night, the ones I had cut down without a thought. I felt like throwing up to even compare him to one of those dogs, but I couldn't help it. Was he really evil, all this time hiding his true self from me?
My feet lifted off the ground and I was pushed backwards, levitating in the air. I was completely at his mercy and that was mortifying. For once my mind was blank and I had no spell in my mind, no plan of attack. This revelation had all but brought me to my knees.
He tilted and lowered me so I was at eye level with him. I tried to keep myself composed as he stared at me quietly but I'm pretty sure I failed, allowing him to see the terror in my eyes. What was he going to do now?
In an expression I had never seen before, his face scrunched and his blood red eyes reflected the thought behind his visage. Disdain. He was disgusted with me. Why? Did it matter? His eyes had always been guarded and yet it was the one place I was able to understand him where his visage spoke for him, and now he was displeased. What could I have possibly done to make him disgusted? He wasn't even angry or frustrated. I didn't understand.
But as I continued to stare into those red eyes, the red didn't seem so bloody anymore. Instead, his ruby eyes began to draw me in. That was when it hit me. He wasn't disgusted with what I had done, he was disgusted with what I wasn't doing. His eyes were speaking to me as they always had, this green form of his was just as much a part of him as was his normal self. I knew I was right, I had to be, for had I not just bared myself to him? Had I not just shown him my pride and my heart? I had been seeing this beast all along inside him, just as he saw the beast in me, only mine didn't come with a wardrobe change.
He cocked his head to side slightly as my eyes hardened. If I could have spoken, I would have said, 'I'm not down yet,' but I couldn't. It wasn't because of the hold on me, oh no it was for a much more glorious reason.
His eyes narrowed and just before he spoke I pulled back my neck and then forward, spitting in his face. I know, it's pretty gross but what else was I going to do? I needed for him to break concentration, if just for a split second, and that's exactly what happened.
The concrete around my body vanished and I was falling. With my out stretched hand I cried "Sûl!" and as his eyes went from shock to rage, he was blown backwards. I landed on the ground roughly on my bad leg and I could no longer ignore the pain coursing through me. I let out a cry as I struggled back to my feet. Panting heavily I slouched, my eyes darting around and alert.
Suddenly he was in front of me and he ducked down avoiding my punch but his legs swung low and kicked my bad leg, tripping me. I howled in pain as a fist covered in black and green flames came towards me.
"Turma!" I shrieked. His hand bounced backwards. I panted heavily on the ground, and seeing the confusion in his face I smirked. He scowled at me, his outrage evident and jumped back far away from me.
"You wench, do not think you have bested me," he snarled menacingly. His arm erupted into a black flame and his third eye glowed brightly. I felt a hum surround me as he gathered energy, one that was familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. My eyes widened and I grinned. I was going to see her, about time!
I dipped down into my magic for The Song and syllables melodically left my mouth, causing a white light to begin to swirl around me. I had good timing too, because not a moment after The Song became full he cried,
"JOU ENSATSU KOKURYUHA!"
Darkness in the guise of a serpent like dragon changed towards me and I braced myself. To be honest, I wasn't expecting him to actually throw the dragon at me. In fact, I am nowhere near powerful enough to stand up to a tamed dragon and win and I never will be. It is quite unfortunate.
I sang loudly, the white magic shielding me as the dragon slammed into it and shot upward. Well that was good news. Now let's try something else. I concentrated The Song and reached out to the entity. Using the magic I tried pushing it down and the dragon head swooped down into a nose dive. Success! Before it pounded into the ground, I pushed it outward back towards him. I let out a sigh of relief. Well that will show him.
You know those moments where things are going great but you actually say it aloud and suddenly it completely goes south? This was one of those moments.
Before its mouth could enclose its jaw on him it snaked around him and rose into the sky. As it rose, scales flipped onto the muzzle and it's red eyes began to glow brighter. The scales rippled down through the body to its tail, a perfect imitation of the statue in the temple except that it was big. And it was truly alive.
I was staring at the Forbidden Dragon and I knew that I was done for.
The dragon swept down as smooth as a bird flies in the sky, its body rippling like a snakes until it slowly reached me. Behind it I could see him, standing proudly with his arms crossed. He wasn't going to actually sic it on me, was he?
The dragon brought its muzzle to my face and I forced myself to remain calm. There was a glowing red instead of normal eyes and I could see the long, pointed pink tongue behind large fangs as white as fresh snow. The muzzle was long and robust with two long black whickers attached to either side of its nose. I had never seen a dragon so up close before and I was reacquainted with why we take such care to not anger them.
Dragons are terrifying.
I knew that if it wanted to, it could easily snap me in two and there was nothing I could do to stop it. It could breathe fire on me and I would be burned and scarred for life, if I survived. I was completely at its mercy, my legs weak, my heart pounding, and my body wanting to run as far as I could. But I would be damned if I disgraced myself in such a way. I pulled myself to my feet and was going to stand firm and strong for as long as I could, which meant until my left leg gave out. I was pretty sure I was close to that point. I wasn't going to be able to walk for at least a week after but it would be worth it. At least, it had better damn well be.
The dragon reared its head back and let out a powerful roar right in my face. I wasn't sure what was worse, the bone chilling roar or the globs dragon spit on my face. Hold your ground Vana, ignore the foul tasting spit in your face, hold it…, and in your beloved hair- ew, hold it… Suddenly another sound filled the air. This was a deep rumbling that was not necessarily bright but definitely merry.
The dragon turned its head and let out what could only be considered a whine. Since I was still connected to the song, I was able to hear the words,
'Master, can we stop now? I like her.'
The dragon's voice, which sounded like a young girls, went unnoticed however because I was staring at my dour, sullen, easily annoyed, hot-tempered demon who never smiled, laugh. He was laughing, his mouth pushing his smile to the limits as the sound erupted from him. I should have been really angry that he was amused at the spit in my face but I couldn't help but think about how much I enjoyed the sound of his laughter and how I could make it come about again. But I had to play pretenses.
"Cut that out and give me something to wipe this off with, will you?" I asked crossly. His laughter died to a chuckle and his eyes shone with amusement before he disappeared. The dragon and I looked at each other. She, I think it's a she, pushed her muzzle against me and let out a low growl. I hoped it was a purr, indicating that she liked me, and I let The Song finish as I rested my hand on her head, using her for support.
He reappeared again, his body returned to normal, and he was wearing his cloak. In his hand was his usual white scarf. I held my hand out gratefully to take it but he reached his hand up to my face. I closed my eyes as he slowly wiped the spit off of me.
"You're stronger than them. It's pathetic," he said solidly.
"What?" I wondered aloud confused. Had I not been able to feel the warmth of his hand through the cloth and the increase of speed of my heartbeat, I might have been able to decipher what he was saying.
"It's quite plain you don't need anyone to protect you or dictate your actions. You're stronger than that," he said, almost annoyed that he had to spell it out for me.
I wasn't pathetic. He never said that. My situation was pathetic but not myself. He thought… he thought I was strong and powerful. My face suddenly felt warmer but I accredited it to his warmth. But for some reason, when he pulled his hand away, my face was still warm.
I opened my eyes and stared down at him, his red eyes calmly staring back up at me. I began to feel dizzy, my heart pounding and my legs weak like it was when the dragon was in my face. Suddenly, I was crippled with a searing pain in my left leg and I felt my body finally give way. I was prepared to hit the ground except I didn't.
His sturdy hands had grabbed my torso and he maneuvered his hands so that he was able to pick me up, his arm beneath the bend of my knees and the other around my back. Instinctively I put my arms around his neck. He seemed surprised by the action and blinked at me. I felt my face burn but I somehow managed to keep it together.
"Well I need to hold on, after all I am considerably taller than you. Who knows if I'll just slip out of your arms?"
It's definitely not my best comeback. In fact, I'm fairly sure it didn't make any sense at all. It wasn't my fault though, he was making me feel… good question. What was he making me feel? For some reason I didn't mind being carried by him, even though my pride dictated for me to do otherwise. Was it his unnatural warmth? Was it his musky smell that, in a way, reminded me of a warm fireplace? Or was it because of his strong arms that had so much power to destroy and yet had chosen the opposite instead?
"Don't be foolish," he growled. But his grip on me tightened. "Koku," he commanded. The dragon swooped down in front of him. That was her name? Whatever it was he wanted her to do, he must have thought it because she snorted and spiraled off. He didn't say anything as he darted back to the temple.
I wasn't sure what he was making me feel and I wasn't sure why but all I knew was that when he brought me to the washroom for the warm bath Koku had somehow managed to set for me, I was not ready to leave his arms.
0~*~0
"Woman."
"Hmm?" My eyes darted back and forth across the page, absorbed in the knight fighting the three headed dog.
"You missed dinner."
"Mmm." I brought the book closer to my face. Ooh, the hero was going in for the kill. How was he going to do it, sword or arrow? I wish I could fight a three headed dog. What an amazing trophy that would be!
Suddenly a hand slapped down the book, causing it to fall out of my hands. Jerked abruptly back to reality, my gaze snapped up. "What are you doing?"
The demon in front of me frowned. "You missed dinner."
"You didn't call for me."
"I did. I came to get you, you waved me off, and didn't show up," he growled.
"Well that doesn't mean you rudely slap the book out of my hands just because I'm not paying attention to you," I said frowning. I bent over to pick up the book but his hand shot down and slipped under mine. I flushed as my hand unavoidably fell on his. I felt a fluttering in my stomach and my heart raced. Oh, not again! I pulled my hand back quickly and I looked up at him nervously to see he was avoiding my gaze, a pink tinge to his cheeks.
Okay, Vana, refocus the conversation and you can forget about the stupid fluttering inside of you. And possibly the fact that he's going through it too. Maybe. Would that be a good thing? Because this stupid bashfulness had to mean something, right? Focus, Vana, focus!
"Anyway, why are you so angry about it?" I said, pretending the entire book incident hadn't happened.
The question seemed to startle him, as though he didn't know the answer himself. I couldn't help but grin.
"Aw, you missed me at dinner! How Charming of you!"
"I did not miss you at dinner and I am not charming!" he snapped, the pink turning to a bright red in his cheeks. I laughed while setting the book aside, stood, and placed my hand in the crook of his arm.
"Well, my Charming Prince, won't you join me for dinner?"
He jerked his arm out of my grasp and glared at me darkly but I laughed again, leading the way to where we usually ate. The dining room wasn't anything special, it was actually quite small. For two people though, it was perfect. My side was still set, waiting for me. There was even a pitcher of wine on the table. Aw, how cute, he really had missed my company at dinner.
I served myself some of the stew that was hanging over the fire, cooked from the venison I procured earlier that day, while he plopped down into the chair, slouching. I took a few bites before serving myself some wine.
I stared at him as his gaze settled on the fire. Normally during dinner he didn't talk much, I usually chatted away but every now and then he would begin the conversation. I suppose though that this time, it was my turn.
"Sorry for missing dinner. The stew came out really good today."
"The meat was good," he grunted back. I smiled.
"Yes, but it was prepared well." His eyes flickered to me for a moment before returning to the flames.
"Hn." Why-thank-you-I-know-I-am-a-very-good-cook-and-I'm-glad-you-like-it-even-though-I-will-never-admit-to-being-so-accomplished-at-it.
"Not a word," I said smiling. I then ate in silence, having nothing more to say. When I was finished with the stew I leaned back and sipped on the wine.
"So tomorrow I was thinking we could spar," I said casually.
"No," he grunted.
"Fine, can I practice my technique?"
"No."
I frowned. "You aren't being fair. I haven't picked up my Víra since our last fight and that was almost a month ago!"
His brows knit together and his lips formed into a scowl. "You were lucky to end up without a limp after that! Is it your intention to permanently damage your leg for the rest of your life?"
I took a long sip of wine, feeling rather sullen. "No."
His eyes gave me a look as though saying, that's what I thought, before turning back to the fire. "Just run," he grunted after a moment.
"That's all I've been doing and I am growing tired of it." That was a lie. What I was really tired of was running alone or doing anything alone for that matter. But I wasn't about to tell him that.
He didn't respond, and I finished the wine in my goblet. "You are just like my brother," I said, grumpily. 'No Vana, don't do this, don't do that. Vana, you'll injure yourself. Vana you're going to make a fool of yourself. Vana-'"
"Fine. Don't listen to me. I don't care what happens to you anyway," he snapped angrily. I stared at him shocked as he all but leapt out of his chair and darted out of the room. I sighed and poured myself a glass of wine and leaned back in the chair, taking a long gulp.
"Wonderful Vana. You've pissed him off for no reason and put him in the friend corner all at once. Way to go," I muttered. I had no reason to mock him like that, he was only trying to look out for my well being. He, like my brother, was right of course. I couldn't push myself hard like that again, no matter how antsy I was. I was given a bow with arrows but it wasn't the same as my Víraserce. What was I to do? I felt weak just sitting here and not training, when I went back home it would only have been six hours since I left. I couldn't afford to let the drop in my strength be so great. Maybe I was being paranoid…
I frowned before taking another sip of wine. I said I put him in the friend corner. What caused me to say that? What caused me to even think that? All he did was confuse me now. Was there a chance that the rapid pace of my heart would go away? It had to, I had just been around him in confinement for so long that I was getting confused. Yes he was nice, and yes he had taken care of me but that did not mean that I automatically develop some childish crush on him either!
I finished the wine, set the goblet on the table, and stood. I was going to set the record straight. I began to march down the hallway when I wondered, if I wanted him to be in the friend zone why was I bothered that I had openly said it? I shook my head, one thing at a time. I walked down the corridors to his bedroom and knocked. There was no reply but I had a feeling he was in there.
I slowly pushed the door open. The Keepers room was significantly bigger than any other bedroom in the temple but his furnishings were the same as mine, a dresser, bed, table, and a chair. But I think the only luxury in the room that he cared for were the large windows. He was small so it was easy for him to sit on the windowsill and look outside, one of his favorite places to be. Not that he told me specifically or anything but I had found him there so often, it had to be a place he enjoyed.
I pulled up a chair next to the window and sat down. It felt odd, looking up at him but in a way it was nice. I wasn't used to dealing with men shorter than me, not that it really mattered but looking down all the time was a little annoying.
"What do you want?" His voice was soft, but rough with an edge. He was still angry at me.
His eyes slid over to me but then he turned to me fully with a scowl on his visage. He hopped off the ledge and reached behind my head, pulling on the scarf he had given me to keep my hair in place a few months ago. After that swim, I had dyed it with lavender, the only flower I could find enough of to make a dye with, and used to it to keep my braid tied or like today, used it to pull back a part of my hair and leaving the rest down.
He took the purple scarf and brought it to his nose and closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. I frowned. I knew that demons had a more acute sense of smell but this was kind of creepy in addition to rude considering I had just lost my hair tie. He opened his eyes as he stared at the light purple fabric and then tucked it in his pocket. Wordlessly he pulled off the scarf around his neck and held it out to me.
I took it, staring at him curiously. "What is wrong with the one you gave me before?"
He situated himself back on the windowsill, his face turned from me. "The scent on this one is fresh."
I stared at the scarf in my hand blankly. Frowning I brought it my nose and sniffed it. It smelled like him, that cozy, smokey, musk. I felt my stomach flutter again as I tied the scarf into my hair. I stared up at him as I tied the knot, his red eyes were on me in a way I had not seen before. It was protective, no that wasn't the word… possessive. He wanted me to have the scarf that bore his scent, he wanted me to smell like him. Conversely he had taken his old scarf back because it no longer smelled like him. It smelled like me.
Ancestors, I didn't know how to deal with this barbaric nature of his. The thought that he was possessive over me was overwhelming and I shouldn't have liked it. After Thalion I promised myself that no man would possess me like that again. But here I was, falling under the magic of those brilliant red eyes and I couldn't help myself. I was pleased that we had, oddly, traded scents.
I was also scared.
"I wanted to know if you would like to run with me tomorrow. I'm not as fast as you but," I said, trying to put the confusion behind me, "But your company would be nice."
"You don't want my company." I frowned at the calm tone of his voice. I felt his words were not to turn down my invitation but to completely denounce himself from me… "Don't be a fool, Mîra. I am a demon, it's in your best interest to just go back to your home," he snapped angrily.
Mîra? He didn't call me woman. He called me Mîra. It wasn't my full name and it wasn't Vana, which is what everyone else called me, but Mîra. It was his name for me, he was the only one to call me that. I felt the childish symptoms come back but this time I didn't feel as though they were childish. I could no longer ignore the rapid beating of my heart, the rising heat in my body, and the nerves in my stomach.
More significantly, I could not ignore how pleased I was to know that he wanted to have a token of mine, or how I yearned to hear the sound of his rare laughter and the deep growl of his voice. I wanted to see his narrow red eyes and the wide range of emotions that he tried to pretend he didn't have. I don't know what he went though, I don't know anything about him at all, but he seemed so lonely and his words to me were empty.
He thought he wanted me to leave, so that he could protect me from whatever monster or being he thought he was, but I knew him better than he thought. To be honest, I didn't know what he was thinking, I was only good at interpreting his grunts, but I'm sure they were depressing and full of self-loathing.
But, I wanted him to say my name again.
I stood and he stared at me. His visage was blank and his eyes were too, until they looked away from me and back out the window. For a moment, they had looked sad. My heart pounding, I did what I felt was right. I shoved my rear onto the windowsill and before he could object I put my arms around his neck and drew him to me tightly. I felt him try to push me away but I held on tight.
"I'm not letting go, Hiei."
"You're an idiot!" He snapped in my ear.
"You're the idiot!" I shot back. "I do want your company. I know you're not perfect, I don't think anyone can with your sour attitude, but you aren't awful or evil. You're good and kind and caring-"
"I am no such thing! Now let go of me, woman!" He growled. His hands gripped the sides of my torso tightly.
I released him but I did not move. I stared frustrated into his torn visage, his eyes averted to the side. "You are! You cared that I wasn't at dinner! I don't know what thoughts entered your mind between now and then but this is ridiculous!"
"I did not care," He snapped. His eyes, however, were still averted.
I sighed. "Hiei, why did you save me? Why didn't you leave me to die?"
"I should have."
"But you didn't and that's what counts. Stop trying to push me away."
Snarling, he shoved me off the windowsill and I stumbled backwards, catching myself by falling into the chair. He slid off the windowsill and before I could speak, he was looming over me and he grabbed my shoulders roughly.
"Mîra, I am tired of your magic and games," he growled. His eyes stared down at my furiously and I stared back determinedly.
"What magic and what games?" I responded.
"This," he hissed. "These lies, the laughter, the smiles, the singing, the bewitching. Stop it!"
Okay, Vana, think. What is he really trying to say? Why would he think my words were lies? Why would he dislike my laughter or smiles, both of which have been genuine? I only really sang when he was asleep... or did he pretend to sleep just so he could hear me sing? Why was that a bad thing? I never lied to him, I never acted falsely or misguided him. But why use the word bewitching? What did he-
The realization slammed into me and my eyes widened. Flirting. He was tired of the flirting. But I wasn't. I didn't want it to end because as I felt the coursing warmth and anxiety in my body, I knew that I had fallen for him. For better or for worse, I wanted to be in this man's warm embrace.
I gently stared up at him and placed my hand on his cheek. "Hiei," I said tenderly, "I have never told you a lie and as for your claim of bewitching…" I smiled warmly staring into his beautiful, confused eyes and placed my free hand on the other side of his cheek. "You have me spellbound, so I think we're even."
Then, I raised my head and kissed him.
The kiss was only for a moment but I could feel the lingering warmth from his dry lips and I was glad that I at least had this moment. He stepped back, a mixture of confusion and shock on his visage. He looked away and the realization of what I had just done sank in.
Great job, Vana. This is probably in the top five of stupid things you have done. What in my right mind made me think that kissing this man would-
My eyes widened at the feeling of his lips pressing against mine. The kiss was not forceful or hard like I thought it might be, but instead it was gentle and nervous. He pulled back, his unsure eyes meeting my shocked ones. I was sure that if I had not grabbed his face and brought it back to mine, he would have run away.
For the record, he was a terrible kisser. Either I'm the first girl he's kissed or the first girl he's kissed in a long time. And you know what? I loved it anyway.
His arms wrapped around my torso pulling me to him and I wrapped my legs around his waist, my arms holding onto his neck tightly as he picked me up and placed me back down on his bed. It was much easier after that, to kiss him and hold him, entwining my fingers with his thick hair. I melted under his touch as he kissed my jaw line and neck heatedly as I felt my dress loosen. I shoved it fervently off and onto the floor. It didn't matter to me, he has seen me in my undergarments many times before.
He broke the kiss and stared down at me, running his fingers lightly down from my shoulder across my bosom. I was burning under his fiery touch and it wasn't because of his body temperature. It was just him. I had never felt this way before, not even with Thalion. I thought I did, I tried to think I did with him but it wasn't true. It was all a lie. But with this man, my demon, something deep inside me stirred. As I entered his embrace again, my hands slid off his cloak and pulled his shirt over his head as his fingers ripped through the ribbons of my corset, not even bothering to try and untie them.
We never ventured further than that, just feeling his muscular bare chest against my own was enough. The powerful hold this man had on me was nerve wrecking and enthralling at the same time. All I knew is I never wanted his mouth to stop, he had gotten much better at it by now, and I never wanted the feeling of his affectionate, warm touch to go away as his hands wrapped around my bare skin.
I felt as though an eternity had passed when our passionate frenzy ended. He stared down at me, his thumb tracing my jaw when his mouth curved upward softly, his eyes the gentlest I had ever seen them. My breath caught in my throat as I stared up at him in awe. Oh Ancestors, he was smiling. His visage shone softly as he murmured my name. I felt he was glowing with something I had never seen before and I never wanted it to go away.
We moved under the covers and laid there for awhile, kissing, talking about my brother and his sister, my attendants and his crazy friends, and more kissing. I was the happiest I had been in a long time, locked in his strong arms and breathing his fireplace scent. I don't need a man to hold me or protect me, I had made sure of that, but knowing that these arms were here was nice and comforting.
I didn't remember falling asleep, but when I awoke I was still pulled snugly into his chest, his arm propping my head up from underneath the pillow and his other arm wrapped around my torso, his fingers mixed with strands of my hair. I smiled as I lightly placed a kiss on his chest. I could stay here for forever.
My eyes shot open wide as a terrible feeling slammed into me, the scared feeling coming back. I was still nervous about the hold he unknowingly had on me, but this was different. I was scared because I could not stay here for forever. Forever was a lie for a dream.
I am an elf. He is a demon. I am the heiress to a great kingdom. He was… I didn't even know. I knew he was a territorial lord and he may be a Tae but he would have to be equivalent to a prince for my father to even consider him. With the small bits I knew about him he seemed like a rouge, running with thieves and killing in the chaos of the Dark Lands. I did not hold any of that against him, but Ada would.
And so, I had to choose. The crown or a man?
Hiei awoke not long after me and we laid there in the rays of the rising sun holding each other and placing soft kisses on each other's lips. Then we went about our day. He ran with me and it was challenging to keep up with him but I enjoyed it. We washed in the river and I had no need to hunt for dinner since we didn't use all the venison yesterday so I went back to my room while he trained and I prepared my things.
By the time I started to prepare dinner, he was back to help and together we cooked and dined. The atmosphere was brighter, a bounce in his step, and small smile on his face when he wasn't scowling at something I said or laughed at his words. Night was full of kisses and warmth and I loved the feeling of holding him in my arms as he slept, his head nestled in my bosom and his arms locked to my sides.
For a time I also fell asleep, happy and full of contentment. But I woke just before dawn, well before him. I played with his hair for a moment, smiling down at the sleeping man who had rooted himself in my heart. Then the smile faded, and I wrestled myself out of bed, telling him I needed to use the outhouse. He grunted in response and rolled over. I brought the sheets over him and stared at his back. I leaned over and placed a kiss in the crook of his neck, absorbing the feeling of his warm skin one last time.
Then I quietly went to my room, pulled on my trousers, shirt, and boots. I hooked Víraserce to my hip and tucked the small dagger into my boot. I fingered the scarf he had given me the day before and gathered half of my hair and tied it back. I turned down the corridors and stopped in the main entrance. My eyes turned to the Guardian's room. I quietly pushed the door open.
The room was somber in the dark of the morning. I walked up to and stared at the golden statue in the middle until I finally knelt and lit the incense. Dipping into A Song, I sang softly,
"O Koku, Guardian of the Forgotten Temple, please help him forgive me."
Then, I left. It was cold and cruel of me not to say goodbye but it hurt too much. I didn't want to say goodbye but I could not stay. That would be worse. What would happen when the six months ended? The longer I stayed the more I would have fallen for him and I know me. I would have never wanted to leave his side. Worse, what if I had taken him fully into my bed and ended up with child? But none of those reasons compared to a simple, basic principle.
I had to choose between the crown and a man.
I will always choose the crown.
0~*~0
Meetings with humans are usually boring. All they like to do is sit and squabble about land, taxes, and threaten each other with war constantly. Of course they also try to petition the help of the elven leaders in assisting them with their quarrels. Don't they realize that within my life time, I have seen three different rulers for each land? I knew all their predecessors and they all tried asking us for our help then too. We refused them, just as we do now.
Our lands are not threatened by the large evil foretold by our oracles, that is not for some time. At least, that is what they say. I think it's a bunch of crackpot nonsense. From what I can tell through reports, the equilibrium between the three nations is intact. We elves keep to ourselves, humans squabble amongst each other, and demons stay in their lands. Demons…
Keep it together Vana, it's almost been four months now. There's no sense in thinking about a man who has probably forgotten about you. Besides, this meeting is somewhat interesting, not to mention your debut as a council member. Keep it together. After all, it wasn't every day that orcs overstepped their bounds significantly, attacking human villages. So pay attention to that, Vana, and not the shirtless, red eyed demon running through your head…
"…and so we ask of you, Aranel Mîrvana, Harán Soron, and Harán Thrond to give us your aid and fight against the demons!" One of the human kings, Faramon, pleaded. I looked at my brother Rodynar who sat on my right and then Soron on my left. Past him, Thrond was frowning.
"Why should we engage ourselves when it is not necessary, invoking the demonic wrath?" Thrond rumbled in his deep, old voice.
None of the kings had a chance to respond because there was a knock at the door. Soron and another king, Mordred, granted their stewards entry. The two men opened the doors and stared at each other nervously.
"Your Graces, the demon representatives are here," Soron's elf swallowed.
The room fell silent and almost everyone turned to look at the three empty seats at the round table. I glanced around the room. No one knew what to do. The demon Kings had been invited out of protocol outlined in the Treatises of Maradon but no one had expected them to show up. They usually never did.
Since no one was saying anything, I might as well. "What are you two standing there for? Bring them in," I commanded solidly. The stewards bowed and a moment later, a small child with violet eyes and hair such a deep purple it almost looked black stepped next to the human steward.
Then, my breath disappeared and I froze in my seat. Walking through the doorway were two demons but I hardly noticed one of them. No my entire being was locked on the short black haired demon with red eyes as brilliant as rubys. His clothes were different, more formal, in the higher quality black trousers and shirt. His tunic was also black but trimmed in gold and a gold serpent like dragon snaked up his chest as his insignia. The tunic was cinched at his waist with a gold sash and a cape rested on his shoulders, ruffling behind him regally as he took solid steps into the room.
Ancestors he looked like… like a prince. This wasn't fair, what were the Ancestors dong to me? How was I supposed to move on when my forbidden desire was being thrown in my face? I stiffened and the world came back to me as I felt Rodyn's touch on my arm. I turned to him and he gave me a pointed stare. I breathed deeply and turned my attention back to the table. I could not let the kings see me like this. I was a sheep in a lion's den and acting like a lovesick fool would not help them realize that I am just as capable of a leader as they are.
"Well, well, well, look who has decided to join us," Faramon sneered. My attention turned to the other demon as he cleared his throat. His hair was a brilliant red, not like my demon's eyes but just a bit lighter, like an apple. His eyes were the purest of green and his face would easily make any girl swoon. Anyone for me that is, considering I was struggling not to swoon over his companion now.
"My Lords and Lady," he nodded towards me, "I am Kurama, the heir to Demon King Yomi's lands. Next to me is Hiei, heir to King Mukuro's lands." Heirs? He had never mentioned that, he only said he was a territorial lord. I didn't have time to ponder about it though as the demon kept talking.
"We are here to assist with this orc issue. I assure you, we are just as eager to see these attacks stopped swiftly. As you all know, the orcs do indeed reside in our countries," there was a snorting from one of the human kings. No surprise there, humans were so rude, "They are governed by their own ruler and are fairly separate from the rest of our lands. However, we are just as surprised by these attacks as you are," more snickering, "because our own villages would be an easier target over human ones."
"Are you implying that you have no hand in these attacks at all? As though we are to foolishly believe the word of you filth who think you are so high and mighty your own kings can't answer their summons?" Faramon sneered.
Lord Kurama's visage held steady but a snarl developed on my demon's face. "Do you think we would waste our time sitting here with you ingrates if we were behind the attacks?" His angry red eyes narrowed and he growled, "If I was behind the attacks I'd be moving against you, assuring my victory as you idiots sit and squabble amongst each other."
I almost laughed, that was just the sort of response I expected from him! Instead, I settled for my lips to curve into a small smirk. His brutal and frank honesty was something I always appreciated about him. His refusal to play these political games was refreshing. Though his words were honest, however, they did not sit well with the human kings as they began to shout loudly in protest.
"Enough!"Thrond boomed. Silence fell on the table and he turned a pointed stare at the demon in black. "Explain what you know," he said quietly. I stared at him and his eyes flickered to me for a moment, my heart skipped a beat, before settling on Thrond.
"Orcs are creatures that are created, not born. They are too stupid to think past their stomachs so their rise in number means someone is intending to use them for battle. The real question is why," his deep voice said flatly.
There was a silence until a thought hit her. The question wasn't why, but who. Who would gain from waging a war using surrogates? Only someone at this table. I glanced around the room, observing carefully. The human land, Aran, was divided into four kingdoms. There was King Faramon, the brash human king who lived in the south. King Ulfric from the northern country and the mountains. High Sorcerer Magnus was in charge of the small neutral kingdom that's sole purpose was to train human wizards for the good of the realms in the east. To the west was King Mordred who ruled with an iron fist. The three elfin kingdoms resided to the east and south of Aran, which was why the magic kingdom was there, and the demons ruled lands west and north of Aran.
Where did the orcs come from? The south-west? They would be encroaching on Mordreds lands but instead they were bypassing them for Faramon's. Why? Why travel that far? The orcs resided on the elfin/demon border and so attacking Faramon might not be that far out of the way but Mordred was closer. Why the south? Hmm…. Ada picked a bad meeting to miss. Then again, Alyatavar borders the Dark Lands in the south so he probably knew what was going on. This was a test for me. I will not fail you, Ada!
"Oh yes," Mordred said darkly. "Pose the question yourself as though you are thinking, trying to help us. You don't fool me, demons. I know that you are behind these attacks and when I find proof I will finally take your land."
The dark haired demon grinned maliciously at the king, his eyes glinting dangerously. "Go ahead. I never turn down a good meal."
I stifled a laugh as Mordred's face went white and the human kings began to shout. As repulsive of a thought it was to eat humans, I knew for a fact he didn't. I had asked him about it once one night when I had too much wine at dinner. Those were good days... I stared at him for a moment, my composure somehow intact when his roaming gaze caught mine. My heart pounded as we stared at each other and I wanted to give him a small smile or smirk but I felt I would burst at any acknowledgement. I forced myself to pull my gaze away, my heart aching. He had to be angry with me, after all I left him. I mentally shook myself, not wanting to go through that emotional trip all over again, and focused back on the furious kings.
I wasn't entirely sure, but I had a hunch one of the human kings was behind this. Elves and demons tended to stay out of each other's way, since the human kinds tended to place so much emphasis on changing the present rather than allowing life to run its natural course. But, there was a way to find out. I may or may not lose some credibility but it was worth a shot.
"My Lords," I said strongly, and the bickering died down. "The orcs have been raiding the southern portion of Aran. If the demon intelligence is correct, then it sounds like whoever is behind this is looking for something. We elves have a legend of the Remembered Dragon, the white dragon. Once the Forbidden Dragon was banished by our people, the white dragon also disappeared and we mourned its absence. There are clues however that point towards the Remembered Dragon residing in the southern lands of Aran. Perhaps the puppet master thinks he's found the dragon's temple."
There was an unsettled murmuring around the table. Rodyn leaned over and whispered, "What are you doing?"
"A test," I murmured back. Though, now that I thought about it, what we considered to be rumors about the Forbidden Dragon was real. Who was to say that the Remembered Dragon's temple wasn't there either? If that was the case then I would go there myself to protect the dragon from whatever evil plot was at hand.
"That is simply a legend, child," Thrond said sternly.
Child? I was not his daughter, how dare he! "Only to us, Harán," I said coolly. An uncomfortable silence settled around the table until Magnus cleared his throat.
"Perhaps this would be a good time to take a break?" He suggested feebly. The human kings began to stand and chat amongst themselves. I stood and turned to look at my demon but his chair was now empty. It was for the better, I supposed, that he ignore me. I steeled myself and Rodyn and I went to talk to King Ulfric, a good friend of my father's. After that Rodyn went to talk to Rinowa, Durintavar's Tae and the woman I'm fairly sure he was in love with. I excused myself to my room, intending to sort through the mess in my head.
I walked towards the exit when I passed by a light tenor voice calling to me. "Aranel."
I put on a fake, bright smile for Soron. I was pretty good at that, especially with this pig. "King Soron," I said politely, bowing my head. I suppose Soron was a good looking elf, he was only a hundred years older than myself with tall with broad shoulders and light colored skin. His ears were not long like the elves of my home or the elves of Dûrtavar, but were short and stood out. His hair was a soft, warm brown color, and his eyes blue like the crystal clear rivers that ran through their kingdom.
"My Lady, you look beautiful as always," he said smoothly, taking my hand and kissing it. Of course I am, I was the most beautiful and sought after hand in all three realms. This was nothing new from Soron however and really, I wanted to pull my hand away, disgusted. I have a good reason, I mean he did court me for a bit but then I found out he wanted to make me a trophy on his arm and I got rid of him. Fast. Then that lying and cheating bastard Thalion caught my eye… hm, I don't seem to have a good track record with men…
"You are flattering, as always Soron," I managed.
"You are most deserving of it. I am concerned however, your gaze seemed to be… wandering to things it should not be during the meeting."
My gaze towards him hardened. "And what do you care where my gaze travels?" He didn't respond and I smirked haughtily. "You're just jealous I won't make eyes at you."
He suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me closed to him. "You know how I feel about you, Mîrvana! Marry me! The entire realms would be at our feet!" If I wanted to, I could have twisted out of it and had him on the floor in seconds. I like to make a splash of things but doing that to a king wasn't such a good idea. That didn't mean I was going to let him get away with it.
"I am not marrying anyone right now, let alone you. I told you, I will never marry you. I have my own throne to rule. I will not sit back and be your humble wife," I snapped. "Now unhand me this instant!"
Soron's grip on my arm tightened but then suddenly there was a hand on Soron's wrist. I looked down in shock to see my demon, his crimson eyes burning furiously.
"Let go of her, now," He growled threateningly. Soron stared down at the demon, shocked, and before he could respond, the demon ripped Soron's hand off of me. I stepped back, shocked at the interaction. Why was he acting so… possessively over me? I left him! I wasn't supposed to see him! I was supposed to get over him! Without waiting to see Soron's response, I walked off and headed straight for my rooms as I originally intended.
I got about halfway there when I felt the familiar warmth and a small, short breeze, before he was standing in front of me. I stared down at him, angrily.
"I didn't need you to interfere. I can handle Soron myself," I snapped.
"He was touching you," Hiei growled.
"Well I'm not your betrothed so you have no right or place to interfere! Next time, alert my brother."
He frowned at me. "Your brother was gone and you have no betrothed."
Was that his way of saying that there was no one else to look out for me? "I can take care of myself. You should know that I don't need a man to depend on."
He stared up at me silently, and I frowned, thinking that for a moment I thought I saw a flash of hurt enter his eyes. "I know that better than anyone," he said darkly.
Great, now he was pulling the You-left-me-in-bed-you-heartless-bitch card. Lovely. This did wonders to help with the guilt I was already harboring.
"Hiei," I started to say but he turned away swiftly.
"Forget it," he snapped. He turned and began to stalk away. I curled my fists, struggling not to cry on the spot as an emptiness filled inside of me. I had to be strong, it was better for him to walk away. We couldn't be together, even if he had Koku and even if he was a demon heir. There was no-
My eyes widened as a thought struck me. He is an heir. King Mukuro's heir… I quickly ran through my husband qualifications checklist:
1. Angóluce Tae? Check.
2. Attractive? Um, a million checks here. Those abs alone were at least worth a hundred thousand.
3. Strong/Powerful in combat? Check!
4. Prince? … Heir= future ruler=prince. Check.
Ancestors… he was an heir which meant he was a prince! He was a prince! Check, check, check CHECK!
He was my Prince.
"No!" I cried, stepping forward and grabbing his arm. He turned to me shocked, his red eyes confused. But even though he was confused, my mind was so suddenly clear. The elation was spreading through me and I felt as though rays of the sun were emitting from me. I had to make him understand, I had to make him see.
"Hiei, I'm not sorry for leaving the temple. But my heart aches every day because I left you." His eyes widened for a moment before he looked downward, no doubt making sense of my words. "You never told me you were a prince, Hiei."
"I am not a prince, how many times do I-"
"But you are an heir. An heir to a King. Don't you see?"
His eyes still averted he replied, "Hn." Of-course-I-know-why-else-would-I-show-up-to-a-summit-I-knew-you-would-be-at-and-would-otherwise-not-show-up-to?
I released his arm and stared at him expectantly, waiting for him to say something. I needed him to say something. Didn't he realize that this was a chance, a chance that we could actually be together? I knew it was crazy, to have fallen for a demon, and I tried so hard to let him go but all it did was make me yearn for him more. Don't get me wrong, I have no intention of marrying him right now. But 50 years from now? I think I might be ready then.
I watched him hopefully, attentively as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the dyed scarf. He stared at it quietly for a moment before holding it out to me.
"It became useless after two months. Give me the other one."
Okay. Back when we were living together I realized he had this really annoying habit of thinking the first half of his thought and then saying the second half. I don't know why and it drove me insane but no matter how many times I brought up the fact that he didn't need to speak cryptically all the time, he still did it. I really wanted to roll my eyes at him and if we were at the temple I might have. To do that here though would only turn him away. so I got to thinking instead.
Why was two months significant? What happened in two months? Let's see when I left I had been there for four months… and he had to be there for six. The guilt of leaving him gnawed at my stomach. I went back home was sour for almost a month but my brother helped. I had left him in the temple alone for two months with only Koku and remnants of my scent behind. He must have gone mad there… If he wanted to exchange the scarves that meant my scent was gone, and he wanted the other one that would be covered in it. Or infused. Or smothered. Whatever his demon nose preferred.
Now, I could have told him where it was a simply pulled it out, but that wouldn't have been fun. We were in reality again and in reality, I like being courted. Wooing is half the fun, after all.
I put my hand on my hip and gave him a rather sultry smile. "Now what makes you think I will give it up so easily? If you want it back you'll have to take it from me."
I expected him to flush and become nervous, unsure of how to respond. Instead his eyes narrowed, his ruby eyes glinting with excitement as his lips pulled into a smirk. I stared at him curiously as I saw the green glow of his third eye underneath the bandana for a moment and then- well all I knew was one moment I was looking at him and the next his lips were crushed against mine.
I was dizzy, lost in his hot kiss as his fingers dug into the back of my head. My hands clutched on his tunic, pulling him as close to me as possible. Oh, how I love this man's embrace! Then I felt it, the hand that was resting on my neck travel downward to my bosom. Before I could pull away from his embrace to object, his hand gave me a playful squeeze before finding the white scarf tucked hidden away in the crevasse of my breasts. I jerked back from him, not sure if I wanted to drag him into the nearest room and have at it or punch him so hard he dislocated his jaw.
He was smirking triumphantly at me, holding the scarf up tauntingly. "That was fairly easy, Mîra," his rough voice said rather playfully. Okay, now I really wanted to find an empty room, but I couldn't. Keep it together, Vana, you can't let him win this one. You have to remain in control of the situation. He got you this time but have the last word. Keep it together girl.
"Well, I suppose that was a good trick, though extremely inappropriate, but it will only work this once. After all, when that one loses my smell what will you do?" He frowned, obviously not thinking this far ahead. I walked up to him and bent over to be at his eyes level.
"I do not give trinkets out easily, Hiei. You were lucky this time but I can assure the next time will be much more," I paused for effect, "Challenging. But I also don't give them away to men that I hear from so infrequently and whom I never see." His red eyes stared at me hard as I moved my lips to his ear. "It's a shame, really. I was looking forward to possibly seeing your… swordsmanship," I purred into his ear, allowing my lips to graze his skin just so.
I pulled back triumphantly, not able to mask the proud look on my face. I held out my hand to him. "Goodnight, Prince Charming."
The nickname jerked him out of his confusion. "Tch, one day you will regret those words, woman," he growled. I did notice that his cheeks were still quite flush however. He took my hand and kissed it, his brilliant red eyes never leaving my own. I still had the proud look on my face as I forced myself to pull my hand from his and turn away.
My heart pounded loudly in my ears as a happy buzz spread throughout me and I stopped before I rounded the corner and glanced back at him. He was staring at the scarves with a somewhat confused but awed expression on his face. He noticed I had paused and looked up at me silently. I blushed and gave him a demure smile before continuing on.
I'm not sure why I acted like a blushing virgin, considering I was not one at all. Was it the prospect of a courtship that made me feel so new and fresh? I laughed aloud. I knew the answer. It was the reason why I yearned for him and why I could not rid him of my mind. It was the reason I had wanted to make him laugh and smile again, why I was enthralled with him as I stared into his raging eyes, the metal of my Víra clashed against his blade. It was the reason why I respected him and trusted him to allow me to ascend to the crown and rule as I wished, with him hopefully standing by my side.
I was in love with him. That's all there was to it.
I told you the Ancestors answer prayers in funny ways.
Prayer END
There is the second half to Prayer, I hope you all liked it! The last section with the meeting was taken from one of the other versions of this story, so it was nice to not have it go to waste. Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon since it's been completed for a while =)
Translation Notes
Turma- shield
Harán- King
Aranel- Princess