Aren't you lucky! A mega-long finale!

This chapter is dedicated to Aqua-Lily, who's going away for a while : (

It was written by both kiaga and me, in differing parts…If you really wanna know who did what, ask, but I'm working on the assumption that nobody cares. Am I right?

Anyway, I'll shut up so you can read.

A few days later found Maerad in bed, suffering from a headache and random bouts of dizziness. She had made good on her word and had not spoken to Cadvan in this time, and it was killing her.

Why, Cadvan? she kept asking herself. She had been stuck here in her room, distraught that he had done such a thing, that he didn't really love her. It made her sick to know he had lied to her. Such is my luck. My best friend, the man I've fallen in love with loves someone else…is getting MARRIED to someone else.

She decided she needed to go eat something; it would take her mind off Cadvan, and occupy her with something else. Perhaps it would settle her stomach as well. Getting up, she quickly dressed and made her way down the hallway. The high arches were built with stunning beauty and she was so lost in watching their curving forms that she ran into Erin, who was walking in front of her.

"Excuse me," Maerad said politely as she could. "I didn't see you there."

Erin shot her a look that made Maerad step back. "Perhaps you should watch where you tread, Maerad."

Maerad glared back at Erin. "And what is that supposed to mean, Erin? I'm sorry that Cadvan didn't tell me he loved you, alright?" Maerad finished, moving to walk around Erin when she held out her arm.

"You don't understand, Maerad. He bought me all these gifts, danced with me, told me things that only someone in love would say, and then I find him kissing you…of course I'm going to be upset!"

Maerad shook her head. "Talk to him about it, it's no longer a concern of mine; I haven't talked to him since it happened," Maerad stated, leaving Erin standing there in the hallway.

Before she arrived at the kitchen, Maerad suddenly felt queasy, and stumbled. Her vision blurred and the room span around her as she sank slowly to the ground.

"Ca…" her voice trailed off as darkness claimed her.

--

Sound was the first thing to reach Maerad. She could hear low voices close by, though not what they said. She was so hot… She opened her eyes and saw that she was in her own room, and that the voices were coming from Silvia and a Healer she didn't know. The Healer was a tall man with dark hair, and for a second she thought it was Cadvan - but when she saw it wasn't her heart sank.

Despite what he had done, she still loved him with all her heart.

"Mmph…?" she muttered, trying to sit up. Silvia and the Healer turned to see that she was awake, then approached her.

"How are you feeling?" Silvia asked, taking her hand.

"My head hurts. And I feel sick; it's too hot in here. What…What happened?"

"You collapsed close to the kitchen. You have a fever. You're really not well."

"I'm fine, look!" Maerad cried, attempting to get up, but as she reached her feet her legs gave way underneath her, and it was only the Healer grabbing hold of her that stopped her toppling to the floor. Black bubbles burst on her vision so that she could barely see, but as the Healer laid her back onto her bed her vision cleared.

"You must stay in bed," he said sternly. "My name is Tondar. ((A/N: Did I steal that name from someone?)) You're very weak."

"What's wrong with me?" Maerad asked worriedly, leaning gratefully back into her cushions.

"We're not sure," Tondar replied hesitantly. "We're incubating the fever, which is why it is so hot in here, since you asked. We are trying to sweat it out of you."

"You should be fine in a few hours," Silvia continued, but she didn't sound convinced. Maerad laid her head back and desperately tried not to think about Cadvan. She wanted more than anything to talk to him, but he had broken her heart and she felt she could no longer trust him.

"If Cadvan comes, do not let him in," she said quietly. Maerad tried not to cry, and closed her eyes as Silvia and Tondar retreated to the other side of the room.

The odd word from their conversation reached Maerad's ears.

"Very ill…not sure what…broken-hearted…"

Of course I'm broken-hearted, Maerad thought bitterly. The man I love thinks so little of me he thinks it fine to lead me on even though he is getting married to someone else.

She could not stop the tears now, but Silvia and Tondar had left the room and she was alone as the tears slipped down her cheeks.

They stopped only as she slipped into sleep.

--

The day after this, although he knew nothing of Maerad's condition, Cadvan decided that enough time had elapsed for him to visit Maerad and attempt to explain himself. If he had known of her condition, he would have been at her side in an instant, because Maerad had not truly woken since her brief awakening the day before; instead she had been caught in a state of painful half-sleep, shuddering violently for all the while.

As he approached her door, he was concerned to see Silvia standing outside. Why did she not move?

"Silvia? Is something amiss?" he asked.

"Maerad is not feeling well," Silvia replied. "She is sleeping now, and is not to be disturbed."

"Will she be quite alright?" Cadvan asked, his worry conveyed in his voice.

"There is a Healer tending to her," Silvia told him, not quite answering the question put to her.

Cadvan nodded distractedly, and left.

Silvia knew little of what had transpired between the two of them, but it was obvious that Cadvan had upset Maerad.

Her actions were in deference to Maerad's feelings, but Silvia did not know that by keeping the knowledge of Cadvan's visit from her, Maerad's heart was breaking further. She was ill, and still he could not think to visit. Although she could not bear to see him, it was all she craved that he might come. She was aware of ever less as the hours passed, but every sense was alert for a sign of him.

The afternoon of the day after Maerad's collapse, her condition took a turn for the worse. Her temperature was well above what it should be - though perhaps one would expect that as they continued to incubate her fever. She was sweating and nauseous, shaking with fever and throwing about her head as though plagued by nightmares.

Had she been alert enough to hear, what the Healer said on the evening of that day would have perturbed her. Had Cadvan been allowed in to hear, he would have taken her in his arms and sobbed.

As it was, only Silvia heard him proclaim, "I do not know what to do. I think it is some rare disease I have not seen. Perhaps another Healer might know something, but the only other Healer around will be gone for another month or more, and I think by then it might very well be too late."

--

The day following this, Cadvan returned to try and visit Maerad, but again found Silvia standing outside.

"Silvia, has she not improved?" he asked, too concerned to make a greeting.

"I fear that she has worsened, and the Healer does not know what troubles her," Silvia said, her resolve weakened by worry. "He thinks it may be a rare disease. He thought the other Healer might know of it, but he will not return for a month." Cadvan could here the catch of tears in her voice.

"Please, I know some rare diseases from my travels, might I take a look at her?"

"She said you were not to be allowed in. I know not what you have done, Cadvan of Lirigon, but I know that you have hurt her deeply and I feel it is my duty to keep you from hurting her more." As Cadvan made to cut in, she continued quickly. "However, if any would know this disease, it is you."

"Thank you," Cadvan replied with relief, entering quickly.

His stomach dropped like a stone as he saw her, looking so helpless and vulnerable on the bed, thrashing about her head and shaking violently. He put a hand to her forehead and felt that she was burning up.

"How long as she been like this?"

"She collapsed yesterday, but her condition has worsened to this only in the last few hours. Do you know what it is?"

"I think I have seen this before, though only once. If I am right, to incubate the fever is the worst thing that could be done, and instead we must cool her down as fast as possible. Quickly, I need ice, as much as you can find."

Silvia nodded and left the room quickly, whilst Cadvan rushed to the window and opened them wide, then returned to Maerad's side and took off the blanket, taking off the coat she wore and undoing the top button of her blouse. He took her hand and said, "Maerad. Maerad, I'm here. I'm so sorry."

Maerad managed to rouse herself to crack open one eye and as she spied him, she sighed. "You came," she said, on the brink of tears. "You came."

"Shhh, Maerad," he soothed quietly. "We'll soon get you sorted out."

As he spoke, Silvia returned, with two others at her side, all three of them carrying large buckets of ice.

"Quickly, put it about her. We must lower her temperature at once." The others did as he bid them, as Cadvan continued to clasp her hand. He felt he would never let go, if it were possible. "She should begin to cool down quickly, and then she will fit, and we must keep her temperature low or…" He swallowed instead of finishing his sentence.

There were a tense few minutes of silence, in which time the two girls who had accompanied Silvia slipped away, and Cadvan and Silvia watched Maerad anxiously.

All at once, her shaking increased until tremors racked her whole body, and she gasped for breath. Cadvan bit his lip and clutched her hand until his fingers were white with the pressure. There were no more than two minutes of this until Maerad went deathly still. Cadvan stood abruptly, his eyes wide. "Oh, no, my darling. This is not good at all." He laid his hand on her chest and felt, to his relief, and faint heartbeat, but Maerad was not breathing. "Silvia, I need some belladonna, as quickly as possible."

"Belladonna? But Cadvan, that is dreadfully poisonous, are you sure? More than a drop would kill her."

"I am certain, Silvia, and the more you delay the more danger she is in, so please, make haste." Silvia nodded and fled the room, and Cadvan tried not to weep with fear. He kept his hand on her chest so as to console himself with her heartbeat, but he could feel it growing weaker.

Later than he would have liked, though really it was a matter of minutes, Silvia returned with the requested bottle of belladonna and quickly gave it to him. The bottle was small, as such bottles are, and as Cadvan removed the lid he saw the dropper. One drop he put into Maerad's mouth, and returned his hand to her chest to feel her heart. After two minutes had passed and there had been no change, he unscrewed the lid of the bottle again.

"Cadvan, you can't, you'll poison her."

"But if I don't, she will die anyway. I must try." And with that, he put one more drop into her mouth.

There was no response for a long moment, and then Maerad took a long, deep breath, and Cadvan felt her heartbeat increase in strength and breathed a long sigh. "She will be fine," Cadvan said, and kissed her hand.

Maerad's eyes flickered open. They focused on Cadvan and widened in surprise. She could not decide if she were more pleased or sorry to see him.

An image on Erin's face swam into her view and she turned away from Cadvan. "I said I didn't want to see you," she said.

"Maerad, let me ex-"

"No," she interrupted. "I saw what occurred, Cadvan. You have nothing to explain." She heard him leave the room, and suspected that Silvia had taken him.

"Maerad," Silvia said, taking Maerad's hand. "How are you feeling?" she asked tenderly, as Maerad turned to face her. "I'm not feeling myself. I've been having the strangest nightmares.

She felt like she was lying to herself. She had told Cadvan she didn't want to speak with him, but in all reality, she needed to talk to him. It would probably help her get rid of the pang inside her heart every time she thought of him.

"Have you spoken to Cadvan at all, Silvia?" Maerad asked, trying not to seem conspicuous.

Silvia sat down, wrapping her hands around a warm mug of tea. "I have. He's been very upset lately," Silvia replied.

Maerad just nodded, glancing outside the windows at the flower gardens that lay outside them. "Why do you ask?" Silvia probed, knowing there had to be a reason behind it.

"I…I was just wondering, that's all," Maerad replied, forcing a smile. Silvia wasn't taking it.

"He speaks of you, Maerad. Of how he has hurt you, and…other things," Silvia began uncertainly.

"Silvia I know this. Cadvan lied to me; he made me believe that he might actually have feelings for me when in reality he was using me…" Maerad retorted, hurt by the anger she showed to Silvia. She quickly buried her face in her hands.

"Lied to you? Maerad, by the Light, what are you talking about?" Silvia asked, taking Maerad's hands into her own. "If he doesn't love you, then I don't know who does."

"What?" Maerad asked, blinking her tears away.

"Of course he loves you! Perhaps even too much. And you must know that he would never hurt you intentionally."

Maerad wanted more than anything to believe Silvia, but after what had transpired, she found it hard to. "I just don't know Silvia. I need to talk with him," Maerad whispered.

"Then go; he should be in his room," Silvia said, ushering her off.

--

For the longest time, Maerad stood out front of Cadvan's door, hand raised to knock. She didn't know what she'd say, or how he would react, but she knew she had to speak with him; this tension between the two of them was beginning to become too much for her to bear; it was literally making her sick.

Taking a deep breath, she knocked upon the wooden door, its sound reverberating off the stone walls of the hallway. She managed to hear papers shuffling, and eventually footsteps padded across the floor, towards the door. As she lowered her hand, he opened the door, and seemed stunned to see Maerad. "Maerad?!" he said uncertainly. "What...What are you doing here?" he asked.

Staring at the ground, Maerad gathered up her courage. "There seems to be bad blood between us, which is something that…we must discuss," she ended.

Staring at her for a moment, Cadvan shook his head. "Yes…yes of course, come in," he said, walking back into his room, leaving the door ajar for Maerad. She closed the door, and leaned against it as it latched shut.

"Cadvan, I need to know the truth."

He turned and looked at her, a pained expression washing across his face. "I've told you the truth, and yet you refuse to believe me."

"Why would Erin lie Cadvan? She has nothing to gain from saying that you were supposed to propose to her!" Maerad began, before Cadvan cut her off.

"Why would I lie?!" Cadvan yelled, jumping her. He bit his lip, before continuing in a softer voice. "Why would I lie to someone that I love, Maerad? Someone who I want with all my heart to be mine?"

Maerad stood stunned as the silence between them grew. "I would never lie to you Maerad," Cadvan stated, looking at her sadly, wishing he hadn't yelled

Maerad opened her mouth to speak but she found no words. "It is you I love, Maerad, not Erin."

Closing her mouth, Maerad studied his face, trying to decipher whether or not he was lying. "Then why did she say those things?" she asked lightly.

"Because…it was my own cowardice that led us to this mess," Cadvan trailed off, turning his back to Maerad. He leaned on his arms, which gripped the back of his chair. "I wanted to tell you of my feelings ever since the dance, I just didn't know how. And then every time I wanted to, Erin would appear, and I couldn't bring myself to hurt her feelings. She is a nice girl. But that's all she is, Maerad. Nothing more. I did not mean to encourage her, nor to make her believe, as it seems she did, that I loved her."

Maerad didn't know how to react to his confession, other than standing still, awestruck. He continued on, oblivious to the guilt Maerad felt at calling him a liar. "When you found me in that shop, Maerad," he said turning to see her face. "When you found me there, I had been…following you," he said embarrassed, which caused Maerad to smile lightly. "I wanted to talk, but I didn't have the courage, and then I escaped your notice by going in there, until you followed me," he said, his cheeks flushed a bright red.

He stepped closer to Maerad, causing her breath to escape her lungs. "It would've been perfect you see," he whispered, mere inches from her, and she felt like he had stolen her breath away. "You picked a ring you liked, and I was going to get it for you, but you ran off, and that is when things became awkward between us," he finished, still staring into her deep blue eyes.

"I…" Maerad began. "For me?" she laughed lightly. "A ring for me?"

"Yes Maerad, for you, my love," he said taking her hands. "Will you accept my apology?"

Maerad shook her head. "Of course, Cadvan. Only if you accept mine…"

Cadvan looked at her mischievously. "Under one condition," he stated, confusing Maerad. "Only if you accept this ring," he said, sliding the ring onto her finger. "As a token of my love."

Maerad smiled. "It is very beautiful," she murmured, gazing at it.

"Just like you," Cadvan replied sincerely. "Maerad, I'm sick of hiding my true feelings. And that is that I love you, and this ring will serve as a promise and a reminder of that love, and show you that I haven't ever lied to you." He was staring at her face, eager and yet nervous to hear her response.

Maerad stared down at her hand, the ring gleaming with beauty. Looking back up, she met his gaze. "You shouldn't give me this," she said.

Cadvan lowered his head in defeat. It was stupid to think she could love me now.

Maerad took her hand and raised his chin, smiling brightly. "Your word is enough," she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. He found himself shocked at first, but quickly gave in to her kiss, and they stayed there, wrapped in each other's arms until Silvia pounded on his door. "Cadvan, you're wanted!"

Maerad smiled at Cadvan. "Well?" she asked playfully.

"After you, my lady," Cadvan said, as they left the room leaning against each other, jubilant that they finally understood one another.

Yay! I hope you know, Aqua-Lily, that I stayed up until gone midnight finishing this.

Though that's more to do with my determination to finish it while I had the inspiration than anything else...

anyway, hope you all enjoyed, and I hope you, Aqua-Lily, have a good time : ) We'll miss you.

Here ends the fanfiction of Kiaga and Laramie, aka Kimberly and Alice respectively.