Epilogue Part Two: The Run Away Princess
Her blue eyes darted from Darren's face to Ryou's. How…?
"Darren…?" she whispered. "What is he doing here?" her voice wavered. Her cousin walked to her and held both of her shoulders. "This is it, Nami. This is the moment that you have been waiting and dreaming of. Finally, he's back." He said then hugged the astounded princess. Her blue eyes were getting wetter with the impending flow of the tears.
For seven long years…
"I told you, Nami. I will make it happen." Darren said and released her. "Darren, I…I don't know what to say!" she choked and covered her face to cry. Her happiness was so much that she was very much at loss for words. Was she just dreaming? She pinched herself to see and she heard Darren's laugh.
Her joy seemed to be eternal now, until…
"What is the meaning of all of this?" his stern voice froze her heart. There was no calm or no happiness in his voice. There was only coldness and sternness. She looked at him and she saw how his face was full of bitter shock and a look of disbelief shadowed over his eyes.
She walked to him, hands reaching out to hold him but he stepped away and avoided eye contact. "Ryou?" she asked. "What's…wrong?" she added. The pianist clenched his fist and breathed deep. He looked at Darren with a cold stare which made the noble flinch. "Darren, please explain to me what is happening here? You two…are working together?" he asked, turning his back to the lady.
The noble nodded in surrender. "Yes. Ever since she started to run away. I've been helping her. And I've also been the one who tipped the reporters." He admitted. Nami gasped and ran to Darren. "No, don't take it all, Darren. I forced you, remember?" she said, comforting him. "It's okay, Nami. It's time you share your burden." He said, patting her head. The pianist looked away, feeling nostalgic at how Darren was comforting her. Seven years ago, that was his role. He was the one person who stood by her, supporting her in everything.
But now, times have changed and he was now…what?
"Darren," he diverted their attention to them. "Why did you do this? I did not expected you to be behind this." He said and grabbed Nami's wrist forcefully. She winced in pain but he didn't even seem to care. "Ryou!" she said, trying to break free from his iron grip but failed. Darren reached out to help Nami but the a solid push sent him staggering back.
"I'll bring you back to the Archduke myself and tell the truth." Tsuchiura hissed and dragged Nami out of the room. "No! Wait, Ryou!" Nami tried to pull herself back but the man was just too powerful for her. Darren followed and barricaded the pianist. "Tsuchiura-san, not this way. You're hurting her!" he said and managed to remove the pianist's hands from Nami's wrist. "I must do what I am bound to. If you two are planning to escape this, then I must be your foe in your ordeal." The pianist bitterly said. Nami looked away, her eyes gaining more clouds of confusion than ever.
The noble placed a hand on Tsuchiura's shoulder. "Do you remember when I said that Nami is getting proposals for marriage?" he softly asked. "What about it now?" the pianist retorted. "The Archduke…favored me out of all them all. Our engagement is set on Sunday, on together with the press conference I had told you." He revelead. Tsuchiura swiftly looked at him then to Nami, who just bowed her head. "Another trick of yours, Darren?" Tsuchiura barked, hoping that what the man had said was not true but the look on Darren's face tore his heart to pieces. "I know that…I am not the man my cousin wants to be tied to. I know that no matter what, I cannot give her the joy and love that…only you can give to her. And since she's also family, I don't want to see her…so desolate and broken. She has always been putting up a brave and calm face but I know that deep inside, she's dying and breaking." He stopped to hold Nami's hand. "At least, I want to do something good to her before we get…married." He softly said.
"And you think that doing this will be fine? That if it's for her sake, anything is okay?" Tsuchiura said back. "Darren, I thought wrong of you. You know that this is wrong. It's your role in this society and there's nothing you can do about it. If…this is the life that you must take then you take it strongly, no matter how hard or painful it must be. Even if it kills you." Tsuchiura's voice cracked and a single tear fell from his eye. "Even if you have to feel that immeasurable pain over and over again for the rest of your life." He added and he turned his back to them.
"I never gave up on you." Name finally said, her lips quivering as well. "I never stopped believing that you will come back, that we will meet again and now that you're here…I know that prayers are answered. I know that…fairytales do exist. I know that…we are tied together." She said walking forward to hold the pianist's clenched hands. "Ryou…no matter what happens…you will always be that one knight that I will entrust my life with." She said and a rally of tears flowed from her eyes as well. She leaned her head on his back, feeling that familiar strength of his body. "I love you still." She whispered before gathering up enough courage to wrap her arms around his body, filling that void in her heart and memories.
"Tsuchiura-san, we do not wish for you to take her away. Just talk to her and have a good closure." Darren said and he retreated further inside the house, leaving the two.
Tsuchiura Ryoutarou looked up and breathed in. He raised his hand to hold hers, his fingers trembling for the touch of her. "Nami," he whispered and he felt her embrace getting tighter. "I'm sorry…" he said, his voice close to a whimper as he clamped a hand over his mouth. His body shook as his tears fell like rain. He could also feel a small spot on the back of his shirt getting wetter. "I'm sorry I was…weak. I...I'm sorry." He continued to cry until his knees buckled and he went to a kneeling position. Nami cried more openly now and took him in her arms. "It's okay, Ryou. It's okay." She said, comforting the pianist who tightly held her arms like a child. "Don't…cry anymore." She sobbed and rested her face on his head.
"I love you…" Ryou muttered through his sobs and he twirled to cup Nami's face and join their lips. Their tears melted together and everything else faded away. This was their first and, most probably, last kiss.
"Tsuchiura," Tsukimori Len's voice zapped through his daze. "Huh?" the pianist blinked to reality. "You're spacing out. The plane had landed already." His seatmate in the aircraft said as he took his violin case from the upper compartment. Tsuchiura looked around and saw the other members of their troupe starting to get their stuff. Kaji walked to them, a backpack hung loosely on his left shoulder. "How was the trip?" he asked them. Tsukimori nodded at him and handed over a backpack to the still sitting pianist. "Someone here seems to left his mind up in the clouds." He said and Kaji snickered. "I guess Tsuchiura-kun is not used to long flights like these." He said and the pianist growled at them as he stood. "We better get down now. We still have a press conference to attend to." He muttered and led the way out of the plane.
"My, such a hard working musician you are! Anyway," Kaji redirected his attention to the violinist. "Have you told Hino-san about this next location? I haven't been able to update my Twitter back at Australia. You know how our schedule was." He said. Tsukimori sighed and nodded. "Yeah. We were on Skype last night and she was so enthusiastic about the rest of the tour. She's sending her regards to you two." He added and Tsuchiura smirked. "Nice." He grunted and the violinist shot a glare. "What?" he asked. The pianist shrugged and let out a soft laugh. "I think you have to ask her the big question soon, Tsukimori. I have a feeling that after this tour, your schedule will be your greatest enemy." He said and Kaji joined in a laugh. "Right, I agree with Tsuchiura-san." He said. The violinist ignored their jeers despite the slight coloring of his cheeks. "It's none of your business. Besides, among the three of us, Tsuchiura seems to be the only one who's not interested with this subject. He's still single until now, despite all the women trying to lure him." He said as they passed through the airport doors. A man instantly came to them and they were ushered to a shuttle bus that will take their troupe to the hotel.
"Really, guys. You know that I want to focus more on my piano. Besides…" he looked outside to view a certain mountain with a little white roof emanating from its deep lush greens.
"I'm one loyal knight." He added so softly that his companions were not able to hear him.