Chapter 14
Author'snote: I was watching anime yesterday, that's why I didn't update. And for those who wonder, this story isn't alreadt written. It takes me three hours to write a chapter.
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"You look beautiful." Cloud gave the maid behind him a small smile, his enthusiasm for this night long gone.
Despite three hangings set for the morning, the ball would not be cancelled. Cloud was not excited that it would be announced that he was the lost Prince, that once he delivered the child that he would take the Throne.
Cloud felt tears in his eyes, cursing his pregnancy hormones and his sensitive nerves. The maid noticed his inner turmoil, her lips pulling down into a small frown.
"Prince Cloud, if I may not be too bold, why do you cry?" The maid asked, finishing up with his hair. Cloud waved her away, not in the mood to deal with her questions. He was left alone in his room, tears silently falling down his cheeks.
"Will it hurt, when they hang me?"
Cloud couldn't get those words out of his head, his heart screaming for him to do something. But he couldn't do anything.
Cloud sniffled, wiping his eyes and nose with a handkerchief. He looked to the door when it was opened, Sephiroth looking to him with worried eyes. Cloud looked away.
"Did the maid say I looked distressed?" Cloud whispered, wiping his eyes again.
"Yes."
Sephiroth walked in, closing the door behind him. Cloud snorted softly, looking down to his gloved hands. He was dressed head to toe in white, signifying his status as Prince. Cloud almost wished he didn't have that status.
"Does Tifa..." Cloud trailed off, taking in a sharp breath. Sephiroth walked up to him, Cloud standing up and hugging him tightly.
"Does she have to die?" Cloud whispered, Sephiroth rubbing his back as he tried to find the right words to say. Cloud cried against him, Sephiroth feeling the wetness through his suit.
"Tifa... Her death can be stopped. But, she almost let you get hurt Cloud," Sephiroth replied, Cloud holding onto him tighter before looking up to Sephiroth.
"I know. But when I had nothing she gave me everything. When I was weak she gave me the strength to be strong. She..." Cloud sniffled, pulling away from Sephiroth. Sephiroth frowned slightly, Cloud turning away from him with a soft exhale.
"I loved her."
Sephiroth's frown eased away, an understanding setting in his mind. Tifa had become family to Cloud, and to see her be hung would be a traumatizing experience. Sephiroth couldn't change the Queen's mind, and he doubted Cloud could either.
But Sephiroth knew he could lessen the pain.
"Tomorrow, let me take you somewhere," Sephiroth whispered, Cloud tilting his head towards him. Cloud wouldn't look at him though, Sephiroth feeling like a failure to not be able to cheer up his fiance.
"Let me take you to see the ocean." Cloud was quiet for a long second, turning to face Sephiroth.
"Why?" Cloud whispered, Sephiroth looking deep into Cloud's eyes.
"Because I don't want to see you cry." Cloud looked away with a frown, his eyes glistening. Sephiroth walked up to him, cupping both of Cloud's cheeks before kissing him. Cloud gasped in surprise, Sephiroth taking the opportunity to slip his tongue into his mouth. Cloud was caught off guard, but slowly his eyes slipped close. Sephiroth slipped his hands into Cloud's feather soft hair, tearing a soft moan from the shorter man.
Sephiroth pulled away after a long minute, Cloud panting softly as he wrapped his arms around Sephiroth's neck.
"Don't cry anymore," Sephiroth whispered, Cloud taking in a sharp breath when he kissed him again. Sephiroth led him back, Cloud gasping into the kiss when his back touched against the dresser. Cloud grabbed two handfuls of Sephiroth's hair, kissing him to stop his pain.
Even if it was just for a little while.
"Excuse me?" Sephiroth pulled away from Cloud, looking over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow. He pulled away completely, bowing to the Princess. Cloud was a little flushed but he tried to fix himself, Aerith smiling to him. Cloud walked closer, Aerith falling into a courtesy.
"It is a pleasure to finally meet you," she told him, Sephiroth straightening up from his bow. He fixed his white suit, the many medals adorning his chest a symbol of his status as General.
Aerith wore a simple white dress, a bow tied in the back.
"It's a pleasure to meet you as well," Cloud replied, Aerith walking closer. Cloud was caught off guard when she hugged him, his eyes looking to Sephiroth who just smiled at his predicament.
Aerith pulled away, looking into Cloud's eyes. She smiled wide, Cloud's smile not as wide.
"I know we are not of blood, but it would be an honor for me to call you brother." Cloud almost raised an eyebrow but didn't, knowing that his presence was overwhelming.
Apparently now everybody wanted to be his friend.
But Aerith wasn't like the rest. She didn't want to be a friend, she wanted to be accepted.
"That would be nice," Cloud replied, Aerith hugging him again. She pulled away with a gasp, looking down to his stomach.
"You are with child, are you not?" She asked happily, Cloud smiling before nodding. Aerith clapped, hugging him again.
"I look forward to meeting him or her," she told him, pulling away. She left with that, Cloud left a little confused.
She seemed like a very talkative little sister.
"Come on," Sephiroth urged, leading Cloud out of the room.
Cloud was led to a podium, almost stopping when he saw thousands of people. He looked to his mother who smiled, reaching out her hand. Cloud grabbed it, pulled to her side.
"Everybody, I have an announcement to make. My son, Cloud Strife has been returned to me!" Cloud didn't believe so much people would ever cheer for him, call his name the way they did. And for the first time, he knew what his last name was. His mother raised a hand, silencing the masses.
"Little had known that when my son was born, he was born as a man, but also as a woman. With this gift, he grants me a grandchild." The Queen looked to Cloud, Cloud scared beyond belief to even speak. She smiled, motioning for Sephiroth to come forward. Cloud felt more relaxed when he did, Sephiroth giving him a smile.
When he looked to the masses, his face was blank.
That smile was only reserved for Cloud.
"General Sephiroth, one of the greatest in my army, took in my son. He has taken my son's hand in marriage, and is the father of my unborn second heir." Nobody questioned it, they all cheered.
Cloud was confused.
Was this how Royalty was?
Did the people always love them regardless of how they were?
Cloud looked to Sephiroth, the man just staring on as the people cheered. Cloud wondered if he had dreamed of ruling the country.
"Let us feast in the return of my son!"
Cloud was shocked. More food than all of Sephiroth's daily meals put together sat on a large table. Everybody was scarfing down food, drinking, dancing, having so much fun. Cloud looked around in disbelief, his eyes stopping on a group of slaves that had been abandoned by their masters. They were pushed away when they tried to get food, Cloud frowning in anger.
He grabbed a large plate of chocobo stuffing, some people stopping in their leisure eating to watch him. Cloud walked over to the group of slaves, kneeling down. Now almost everybody watched him, his mother looking to Sephiroth who was smiling.
Cloud would be a great ruler.
Cloud looked to the slaves, smiling softly.
"Here, eat," Cloud urged, the slaves looking from him to the food. A butler brought plates and gravy, Cloud placing stacks of meat on plates before covering it with gravy. He fed every slave, already knowing the pains himself of hunger. He stood once every single slave got a plate, walking up to a butler. From the sudden silence that filled the room, Cloud's words were heard.
"Ensure each one of those men and women are full before they leave." The butler nodded, walking over to the slaves, asking them what they wanted. Cloud went back to the table, everybody watching him as he sat on the right of his mother and by Sephiroth. Cloud cleared his throat, looking to all of the speechless people.
"Is there anything you all wish to say?" Cloud asked, everybody remaining speechless.
"You are very caring, Prince Cloud," a man replied, rising up to his feet with a glass of wine. Cloud raised an eyebrow in confusion, the man the only one to speak out of thousands.
"A toast, to the kindness of Prince Cloud!" Everybody raised their glasses, yelling out, "To the kindness of Prince Cloud!"
Cloud looked to Sephiroth when he raised his own glass, Sephiroth giving him a smile.
"I love you," he whispered, Cloud blushing slightly.
"I love you too."
After Cloud had his fill of eating and dancing, he left the dining hall. He tried to go alone, but a guard followed him. Cloud stopped at a balcony, looking out to the night sky.
"Do you need anything, Prince Cloud?" Cloud smiled a little at that, turning around to face the guard that stood by the balcony doors. He wore a helmet, hiding his face. Cloud didn't mind, the man didn't feel like a threat.
"What is your name?" Cloud asked, the guard quiet for a second. Cloud waited patiently, hoping the guard would tell him.
"My name is Vincent. Vincent Valentine." Cloud nodded, looking down to the ground.
"Did you choose to baby sit me, or were you given the job?" Cloud asked, Vincent quiet for another long second.
"I chose." Cloud hummed softly, turning away and looking to the stars.
"If I told you to go away, would you?" Cloud asked, Vincent answering almost immediately.
"No."
Cloud sighed, chuckling softly. They were most likely more cautious since he had been stolen away once. Cloud couldn't blame them, he was a little worried himself that his baby might be stolen.
Cloud looked down the balcony, frowning slightly when he saw something.
A man was standing on the grass, his red hair sticking out of his mask. He was holding a rope, Cloud taking a step back when he threw the rope up. It latched on to a pillar, Cloud looking behind him. The candles weren't lit like they were before, Vincent nowhere to be found.
Cloud looked back to the man, his scream stopped short when he was grabbed from behind, Ricky falling to the floor.
Cloud blinked, the person who had grabbed him gone. The man who had been climbing was gone too, Cloud wiping his nose of the person's cologne.
He turned around, looking to Vincent who was as quiet as a snake.
"The night I went missing, where were all the guards?" Cloud asked, Vincent quiet for a long second.
"We got reports that the Queen would be assassinated. Most guards patrolled her section." Cloud frowned, looking back down to the grass.
He looked down to the floor, seeing a shoe mark. Cloud suddenly felt the hands on him again, his lungs burning as he tried to scream.
"Shut him up!" The man who was climbing hissed, Cloud kicking the other man on the knee, his shoe squeaking on the floor. Cloud gasped when he was hit, his head throbbing with pain.
Cloud felt something slide down his face, his vision swimming. He still fought though as he was dragged into his room, kicking the other guy that had climbed to the balcony. Ricky was dropped to the floor by the man.
Cloud blinked again, his eyes narrowing when he saw he was in his old room. He looked behind him, seeing Vincent standing not far from him.
Cloud was grabbed again, biting the hand over his mouth. He was pinned down to the bed, one of his toys picked up, smashed against his head. Then everything went dark.
Cloud frowned, looking around his old room.
"They hit me with a toy," Cloud whispered, searching around his room for the toy. Vincent just watched him, Cloud lifting the covers to look under the bed.
It was sitting right there.
Cloud grabbed it, pulling it from under the bed. It was a toy chocobo made of wood, blood staining its head.
Cloud looked to Vincent who quickly walked over, Cloud handing him the toy.
Cloud looked to Sephiroth who stopped by the open door, Cloud looking back to the toy.
"One of them was a guard."
