And the Clock Struck Twelve
By seraphimstarlight
Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Tales of the Abyss or any of its characters.
Author's Note: Thank you all so much for the fantastic response to Chapter 22! It means so much to me! Again, thank you so much everyone!
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Luke was the first to speak.
"What? That can't be possible!"
Noelle shook her head slowly. "Well, it was only a rumor being spread among the townspeople, but still, I don't think they'd say something like that without there being some truth to it."
"Do you know the origin of the rumor?" Tear asked.
"No," Noelle admitted with another shake of her head, "The shop keeper I heard it from heard it from a woman in a servant's uniform. I assumed she worked at the palace, so I thought the rumor to be true."
Anise frowned. "Rumor or not, there's still a chance that it might be true."
"But, if it's a rumor, there's a chance it might be false as well," Tear pointed out.
"I agree with Tear," Guy said, speaking for the first time in several minutes. "I think it's false." He paused for a moment, shaking his head slightly. "No. That's not quite right. I actually know it's false."
"How?" Luke asked, visibly perplexed.
All eyes turned to the blond count. He hesitated, uncertain whether or not he should explain. After several long moments, he turned back to his friends.
"Well," he said, "the Emperor couldn't have proposed to her himself because—"
"—Because," came a voice from the far end of the room, "His Majesty is not currently in Grand Chokmah. In fact—he might not even be in Malkuth yet."
"What are you doing here, Jade?" Guy asked without even turning around to face the soldier.
The bespectacled man shrugged nonchalantly, seemingly unfazed by the venom in the Count's voice. "Oh nothing in particular," he drawled. "I just dropped by to see an old friend. Is there something wrong with that?"
Guy scoffed at the remark, but said nothing.
"Anyway, anyway," Anise cut in, waving her hands above her head as though trying to disperse the tension that had settled over the group, "Colonel, what do you mean by the Emperor's not here?"
He looked over at her. "Precisely that, of course. He's not here."
Luke started forward. "So…then…he's holding these dances, but he's not even here?"
"No," Jade replied simply.
Luke's face twisted into a bewildered expression. "But then…what's the point of doing all this? How's he supposed to pick a bride when he's not even—?" The red-head's words died away into a strangled silence as he tried to figure out how that was supposed to work.
To everyone's surprise Jade let out a low chuckle.
"Colonel??" Anise asked, vaguely concerned. "Are you all right?"
He waved away her question and her concern. "Oh, he's been there," Jade said. "In fact, he was there last night."
Luke stared for a moment. Behind him, Guy's composure faltered momentarily, but everyone was too focused on the colonel to notice.
"Wait," Tear said, placing her hand against the side of her head as though to ward off an impending headache, "you just said he's not even in the city. How could he have been there last night?"
Jade smiled cryptically for a moment. "Care to explain, Guy?"
Everyone turned back to the blond swordsman, all waiting for an explanation. He, however, remained stubbornly silent.
"Guy," Luke said at last, "if you know something, then tell us. No keeping secrets from your friends, remember?"
Jade shrugged. "It's not a secret, per se."
Luke frowned. "Then what exactly is it?"
Neither Jade nor Guy said anything further, leaving the others to merely stare in bewilderment.
"At any rate," Jade said, breaking the silence, "he knows why the proposal can't be official."
"And why is that?" Anise asked with a frustrated sigh.
"Because the Emperor himself didn't propose to her," Guy said at last. "Isn't that right, Jade?"
"Whatever might you mean?" Jade asked, feigning innocence.
He turned back to the soldier, his expression severe. "I mean that the Emperor couldn't have proposed because he's not here."
Jade shrugged again. "Someone else could have done it on his behalf."
"And who would that be?"
"You, perhaps," Jade said bluntly, drawing surprised stares from everyone except Guy, "after all, you have been masquerading as the Emperor, have you not?"
"Don't misunderstand," Guy said quickly. "I was asked by His Majesty to court her for him while he was away."
"And you agreed to that?!" Luke burst out, disbelieving.
"I couldn't very well refuse," he countered coolly. "It was a direct request from His Majesty, and I didn't have any good reason to refuse."
"Of course you did," Tear said, frowning, "you could have said it was a conflict of interest."
"So why didn't you?" Luke asked.
"That's not important now," Anise said, brushing the question aside, "what is important is that I think I see where the Colonel is going with this."
Jade raised an eyebrow at this. "Do you now, Anise?" he asked. "Then feel free to explain in my place."
For a moment, it seemed as though Anise would protest but she sighed and tapped her chin thoughtfully. "What the Colonel is saying," she said at last, "is that because the Emperor did not propose to her, according to Malkuth tradition the proposal isn't official, meaning she's not officially engaged. Isn't that right, Colonel?"
The tall man simply nodded.
"And…to make the proposal official," she continued, "the Emperor or, in this case, the person who's acting in his place, would have to propose to her himself."
"Furthermore, if she is to marry His Majesty," Jade cut in, "the proposal would have to be witnessed by others. For common folk and lower ranked nobility, witnesses are not required."
"So in other words," Tear said, seeing where Anise and Jade were heading with this, "since the Emperor is not here, Guy, who has been acting in his stead, must go and propose to her as the Emperor for it to be official?"
"And that means she can still back out!" Luke grinned. He turned to his long-time friend and gave him a hearty slap on the back, causing the blonde to momentarily lose his balance. "And that means there's still a chance!"
Guy struggled to keep himself composed. Truthfully, the news…even the thought was more than he had hoped for. But…he would not let hope cloud his judgment.
"And what about the rumor?" he asked, his voice taut.
"It's just that," Jade said matter-of-factly. "A rumor spread by a maid—easily disproved since no one has witnessed the proposal."
He looked to them, wide-eyed. He was trying his hardest to remain calm, but the doubt and fear that had plagued him earlier were quickly being eroded by hope.
"So…then…I…"
Luke grinned broadly. "Yeah! So go and talk to her! Hell! Propose if you get a chance!"
"I can't do that!" he protested. "Not after…." He sighed. "Besides, she might not even want to see me now."
"Well," Anise pointed out with a smile, "you're not going to see her. The Emperor's going to see her."
"So," Luke said, picking up where Anise had left off, "you'll be able to talk to her without her even knowing it's you. So she'll be listening even if she wouldn't otherwise—not that she wouldn't!" he amended hastily.
"But…what if she still accepts the Emperor…or refuses me?" he asked, doubt settling uncomfortably in his gut.
"Would you rather stand by and do nothing?" Tear asked.
After a long moment, Guy shook his head. "No."
"Then just go!" Anise said with a dramatic sigh. "Go and talk to her!"
"And if she runs off this time," Luke said, grimacing slightly, "for the love of Lorelei go after her!"
Doubt twisted like a knife in his stomach. "But…"
"Honestly," Tear said, "I saw her face when she left. She wanted you to stop her from leaving. She won't hate you for coming back for her."
"Furthermore," Jade said calmly, "she seemed rather uncertain about accepting the Emperor's 'proposal'."
The count turned his attention back towards the tall soldier. "Wait a minute. Jade. You're helping us? I thought you were supposed to help His Majesty."
Jade stuck his hands in his pockets and fixed Guy with a stare. "I'm not 'helping' anyone," he said, "I'm just stating a fact. Please don't accuse me of things I did not do."
"Feeling guilty, Colonel?" Anise asked with a sly smile.
"Hardly, Anise."
She studied him for a long moment, but his face remained impassive, revealing nothing. After a long moment, she turned away.
"So, Guy, are you going to go talk to her?"
He looked away. "I…guess."
She frowned. "Not 'I guess'. It's either yes or no."
He hesitated. "Then 'yes'," he said at last. "I will go."
Her frown turned into a wide grin. "Then, I suppose you'll need a ring, right?"
He turned back to her, staring. "What?"
"Oh come on," she said as though it were obvious, "if the Emperor were going to propose to her, he would have a ring. It would look suspicious if you went without one. Besides, if you're gonna propose, then you'll definitely need one."
"A ring?" Guy said, "where am I going to find one? It's middle of the night now. Most of the stores would be closed."
"Maybe you could use one of the Holy or Mental Rings?" Tear suggested, completely at a loss. "I mean, they're rings, but…"
"I don't suppose you've taken care of this too, Colonel?" Anise asked smugly.
He gave a dramatic sigh. "Why must you keep accusing me of things, Anise?" he asked. "Do you really mean to torture my weary soul so?"
The dark-haired girl raised an eyebrow at this. "The Colonel has a soul?" she laughed. "I always thought you were a vampire or something."
He sighed again. "It's always so difficult when people take me seriously."
"At any rate," Tear said, "we still need to find a ring. Does anyone have any ideas?"
A silence settled over the group for several long moments. At last, Luke sighed and, reaching into his pocket, pulled out a small silk bag and tossed it to his friend who caught it easily.
"Here, use this," he said.
Guy glanced down at the bag in his hand, opened it and dropped a small golden ring into his open palm. "Luke, what is…?"
"It's just what it looks like," Luke said.
"I know what it looks like. It's just…where did you…?"
Guy glanced from his friend to Tear, trying to understand. Upon seeing that Luke was taking great pains to avoid the melodist's eyes, he understood.
"Luke," he said slowly. "I can't take this."
"You can and you will," Luke said firmly.
"But…"
He shook his head. "No buts. It's just a ring. Besides, you need it more than we do."
He looked to Tear and thought of asking her if it was all right with her. Judging from the stunned look on her face, she had probably pieced together the situation, but he felt it wasn't his place to say anything. Instead, he placed the ring back in the bag and slipped the bag into his pocket.
"Thanks, Luke," he said at last. "I owe you one."
"No you don't," Luke said, "so just go and talk to her! Now!"
He hesitated for a moment.
"Thanks everyone," he said as he started for the door, "for this second chance. I swear to you all that I won't waste it."
"You'd better not!" Anise laughed as he vanished through the doors.
As the sound of her laughter dissolved into silence, the doors swung shut behind him. For a long moment, the four people in the room simply stood in silence.
Tear moved up to stand beside Luke and quietly placed a hand on his arm.
"Luke, about that ring…"
"I'm sorry," he sighed after a moment. "I promise I'll explain things later. For now…"
"For now, let's just deal with this," she said, finishing his sentence for him.
He wrapped an arm around her waist and held her against him. "Thanks for understanding."
She said nothing further, only nestled comfortably against him.
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Frustrated, Natalia slammed the leather-bound diary shut and glanced away. She had begun writing a few hours ago, in order to try and distract herself from the fact that she had just…agreed to marry the Emperor. On several occasions, her mind had involuntarily drifted back to the unpleasant topic, but each time she had managed to push the thoughts aside by focusing on whatever she had been writing.
Of all the events recorded in the journal, why now did she have to reach Inista Marsh—the absolute last thing she wanted to remember. She had tried to convince herself that the event meant nothing to her—that the ache that had begun building her gut had more to do with missing dinner than with certain…memories.
Standing, she stepped away from the desk and moved toward the balcony, pushing the sheer curtains aside and stepped outside. She leaned against the balustrade, shivering slightly in the chill night air. A quick glance at the sky told her that it was a full moon. Maybe that was the reason she was feeling so unsettled this evening.
After all, it had absolutely nothing to do with her impending marriage (or, impending doom as her mind kept putting it).
She leaned forward, propping her head in her hands and stared towards the city. Absentmindedly, her gaze stayed towards the far edge of the city. Though she could not see it, she knew that just beyond the city gates there lay a small, beautiful manor where what seemed a lifetime ago, she had stood under a starlit sky.
The ache in her gut moved into her chest, and she turned away from the cityscape, heading back into her room. As she stepped back through the doors, her eyes fell immediately on the journal which she had left on her desk. She gave a frustrated sigh and turned, instead, towards the fountain, figuring that, at the very least, it was something that wouldn't remind her of…
No!
She squeezed her eyes shut.
No, no, no, no, no! Don't think about…!
But it was too late. His face floated before her eyes and his name fell quietly from her lips.
She tried to breathe, to calm herself.
There was no point in thinking of him now. It was over. Done. Finished. He had told her he didn't want to see her again, ever. It had hurt her more than she dared admit to hear those words from him. Who was she kidding? It was agonizing. What hurt her even more, however, was that she had believed them.
It wasn't that she disbelieved what he had said before. On the contrary, she found she trusted most everything he said. But this…in all the time she had known him, never had he said something merely out of anger. Usually, he was so calm and level-headed that it precluded any such outbursts. So then, what else could it have been but genuine anger directed at her?
Why she had found it so easy to believe that rather than all his declarations, she did not know. It was just that when he had said that he had…loved her (even the memory of the words made her heart skip a beat)…she had been afraid—more so than she had ever been in her entire life.
Just why she had been so scared, she wasn't entirely sure. She had tried to put it into words—tried to explain just what she was feeling—but the words had tumbled out in a jumbled mess.
She had tried and tried to say that she was scared that, no matter how much either of them cared for the other, that they might end up growing to hate one another. It was inevitable. They would argue or…something would happen—the love would end, the feelings would change, and what was once so precious to both of them would be gone forever.
She was realistic to understand that they wouldn't always see eye to eye and wasn't naïve enough to think that no marriage would always be sunshine and roses…but still….
It may have been childish if not naïve or foolish, but she never wanted to think of a time when she did not love him. Or…worse yet…when he didn't love her.
But here it was—the very day she had feared brought about by her own stupidity.
She moved over to the bed, sank down on the mattress and began idly tracing the stitching on the bedspread. She tried to convince herself that this was for the best—ending before it had truly begun. At least the degeneration had already occurred, and she wouldn't have to suffer the loss little by little. After all, she knew from medicine that swift, clean breaks were the easiest to heal.
But as the ache in her chest intensified, it didn't feel at all capable of healing.
She flopped gracelessly down upon the mattress and lay on her back looking up at the ceiling.
What an idiot she'd been! It was twice in three days that she'd said something foolish and cruel to him. First at the inn in Chesedonia and then today at Carmina Gaedelica; both times she had only pushed him away. And why?
When it came down to it, she couldn't really think of a single quantifiable reason. All she could come up with was the fearful ache which had twisted her heart in both those instances. She had tried to hide the fear…and longing behind strong words—as she always did when she was scared, but the words ended up being not strong but harsh.
Just what was she so scared of?
She tried to sort through all the possibilities. Was she scared that he might leave her? She shook her head. No. He wouldn't do that. Was she scared of how…intense their relationship might be? She'd be the first to admit that she blushed at the thought, but, no, it didn't scare her.
Maybe, it was much simpler than that. Maybe she was just scared, not of him, but of love itself.
When she thought back, she couldn't ever remember telling him that she loved him. Of course, she'd told him that she cared for him, but she realized with a start that she had consciously avoided saying the word "love".
His angry protest from earlier that day floated back to her mind.
Because I love you dammit! Not "like" or "care for"—"love!"
Her heart constricted painfully at the memory. He had told her he loved her, but she had never said the words herself. Each time she had hidden behind reciprocations and repetitions—behind "so do I"s and "I feel the same way"s. She had never once, independently told him that she loved him.
The realization hit her harder than she thought it would. No wonder he had doubted her sincerity. But more so than that, it hurt her that she had never told him. He had said the words so many times but had never gotten to hear them from her. Not even once.
How it must have hurt him.
She shut her eyes tightly, trying to drown the thoughts in soothing darkness.
Why was she so afraid?
For a moment, she had the irrational thought that she was afraid to commit to someone because of what it might mean for her country, but she quickly dismissed it. After all, she was far too selfish for such a noble notion. In this whole time, she had never really thought of anyone but herself. It was always how scared she was or how hurt she'd be.
Her heart constricted in another painful spasm.
The only time she had ever thought about him was when she'd thought how hurt he'd be when he found out she'd accepted the Emperor's proposal. The thought had been fleeting, but had lasted long enough for her to say "yes" when asked. That she had even thought such a selfish, spiteful thing made her sick now.
She sat up, hugging her knees to her chest as though that might steady her.
The moment "yes" had left her mouth she had regretted it—wanted to snatch it back, but her pride prevented her from simply saying she was mistaken—that it wasn't what she wished. And then, of course, as if reading her mind, Jade had to mention "regret". The instant he had said the word a sick feeling had washed over her, and she had found herself incapable of responding.
Of course she regretted it. Not only because she had accepted out of spite, but also because she knew how much it would truly hurt Guy.
That alone had made her want to set things right—to tell the truth, to say that, no, she did not wish to marry the Emperor. If only she could take her words back—have a second chance she would not waste it. But as things stood, she had used up her second chance this afternoon at the manor. He had asked her once in the garden, and she had refused, hiding behind some pitiful excuse about her duty. And, he had asked her again today, and she had, yet again, hidden behind some pathetic excuse about being afraid. A third chance was unlikely.
Her heart sank. Besides, she was engaged now. It was even more unlikely that he'd come back for her now.
She hugged her knees closer and rested her head on them as tears slipped out the corners of her eyes.
She had been an idiot, and now they were both paying the price.
After a long moment, she loosened her grip a little and fished out her pendant from inside her dress. She had forgotten about it until the metal had started to bite into her flesh from being caught between her leg and her chest. She held it in her hand and studied it for a moment.
"What would you do?" she asked the small stone. "Or rather, what should I do?"
Only silence filled the room.
She sighed and let the pendant fall from her hand.
"What was I expecting?" she murmured to herself. "A stone can't give me any answers."
She glanced out the window at star filled sky.
"I don't suppose you could give me a sign," she said to no one in particular.
She waited. But again there was only silence.
Of course not. After all, wishes were foolish things that never came true. And even if they did, they'd probably end up going wrong anyway. Especially if she was involved.
She laid back down upon the bed and closed her eyes. There seemed to be nothing else she could do. Maybe in the morning she might think of something. For now, she would just sleep.
Quickly she drifted off into merciful darkness, never hearing the knock that sounded at her door.
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Guy knocked. Once. Twice. Three times. Still no response.
He frowned. She wasn't in the party hall, so he had assumed she would be here. Well, if not assumed, he had at least hoped. If she had taken to wandering around, it would be difficult to track her down. The palace was huge to say the least, and there was nothing to say that she'd even be in the palace.
A shiver ran down his spine. Although it seemed peaceful on the surface, Grand Chokmah could certainly be dangerous enough at night. He prayed that she wasn't in the city.
He turned his attention back to the door in front of him. She might still be in her room. Maybe she was simply asleep or taking a bath and didn't hear him knocking. He tested the doorknob. It turned easily in his hand—unlocked. She'd probably have locked the door if she had left. Since the door was unlocked, however, it would be easy enough to check and see if she was there (though he worried that he might walk in on her when she was getting out of the bath).
Still, he had said he would talk with her, and he wasn't going to run.
"Better make sure she's not here," he said to no one in particular as he turned the handle and pushed the door open.
He stepped inside, closing the door behind him and glanced around the room. On the other side, the long, sheer curtains flapped in the breeze from the open balcony doors and the rest of the room was dark. Instantly, he was reminded of the other night in Chesedonia when she had gone missing.
Another chill. He started instinctively for the window but stopped instead in the middle of the room when he noticed a small form shift its position in the center of the bed. He looked closer.
There she was short blond hair splayed across the pillow, eyes closed, making quiet breathing noises and looking so absolutely damned beautiful that, for a moment, his heart stopped.
He started towards her, pulling off the rappig mask as he walked. After all, the thing would probably frighten her if she woke suddenly. He sat down on the edge of the mattress, careful not to wake her but could not resist the urge to trail his fingers through her hair. His hand moved down to trace the curve of her face.
She, however, was a light sleeper and shifted under his cautious touch. As her eyes fluttered open, his heart flip-flopped in his chest, and he dimly wondered if this was how it would feel to wake up beside her every morning.
It seemed to take her a moment to realize that someone else was there with her. She turned to face him and blinked blearily a couple times but did not scream. She stared for a moment before mumbling, "A dream," and closing her eyes again.
He watched her, a bit surprised, maybe even amused by her reaction. She kept her eyes closed for several minutes, and, at first he thought she had fallen asleep again. But then, she opened her eyes again and continued to stare, visibly confused.
He couldn't resist. Leaning down he placed a feather-light kiss to her forehead.
"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty," he murmured.
A faint blush painted her face. "Now I know I'm dreaming," she muttered when he pulled away.
He laughed. "And what makes you think that?"
She hesitated for a long moment. "Because you're here with me."
The disbelief evident in her words stung…terribly, and, for a moment, he felt overcome by weakness—so much so that he couldn't respond.
"I—I'm always here with you," he said quietly, cupping her face gently in his palm, "and I always will be."
For a long moment she did not respond, then, to his surprise, she began to cry.
"Stop it," she said at last, moving her face away from his hand and squeezing her eyes shut and forcing tears out of the corners, "stop it. This dream is far too cruel."
"Why won't you believe me?" leaning close enough to rest his forehead against hers. "I'm here with you."
"You can't be!" she said, fists on his shoulders, trying to push him away, "because you—he—said he never wanted to see me again. He wouldn't be here—!"
Her words died away into a pained sound that knifed at his heart. He forced her hands away from his chest, pinning them to her sides when she refused to stop struggling and leaning down, pressed a desperate kiss to her lips, silencing her protests.
She struggled for several moments before falling quiet and relaxing in his arms. After a long moment, he broke the kiss and let his head rest alongside hers. Her chest heaved brokenly against his, and she pulled one of her hands free and cautiously embraced him.
"You're really here, aren't you?" she asked at last. "I didn't think—I mean…you—"
He kissed her cheek, causing her to trail off mid-sentence. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, lips brushing against the shell of her ear. "I shouldn't have…I didn't mean…." He nuzzled against her neck, eliciting a moan. She arched her back slightly, pressing closer against him.
He moved to pull back slightly but she held him to her.
"How could I even say such a thing?" he mumbled into her pillow. "And how could you believe it so quickly, after all the times I told you I loved you—how could you ever believe that I didn't?" He slipped an arm beneath her and pulled her closer to him. "One argument and you were going to leave me forever because I said a careless thing." He brushed his lips over her cheek. "How could you ever believe that I didn't need you?"
For several long moments she struggled to speak. "How can you still say that—that you…love me after everything I've said…after everything I've done to you?"
He kissed her again. "How could I not?"
Tears trailed down her face. "I don't deserve this…deserve you…."
"Of course you do," he reassured her.
Her lower lip trembled, and he brushed his lips teasingly against hers.
She shook her head as though to clear it before trying to push him away again. "We can't do this," she said, trying to slip out from his embrace. "I'm engaged, remember?"
At this, he laughed, clearly surprising her. After a moment, he leaned forward and whispered to her, "No you're not."
She blinked several times. "…What?"
He smiled at her. "You're. Not. Engaged. A certain scheming Colonel we both know told me that a proposal from an Emperor is not official unless he does it himself and it is witness by others."
"So you mean…what I agreed to earlier…"
"Was not a proposal," he said, grinning. "So, you're not engaged."
This time, she stared. "This has to be a dream," she said at last.
He ruffled her hair affectionately. "That again?"
"Everything's working out too perfectly," she said, snuggling closer. "You came back for me, I'm not engaged, and…" she hesitated for a second. "There's only one thing missing."
He blinked a couple times. "Oh? And what is that?"
"A certain confession," she said. Quickly, she reached up and, wrapping her arms around him, pulled him down into a kiss. When they separated, he sat up, surprised, and stared.
She adjusted her position so that she could sit up as well. For a long moment, she studied his features as though trying to memorize them. Raising her hand, she trailed her fingertips lightly across his forehead, over his eyelids and down the bridge of his nose before letting them come to rest on his lips.
She took a deep breath as though to steady herself.
"I love you," she breathed at last.
His vivid blue eyes widened in shock, as though he had not expected to hear those words from her. He took hold of her hand, clasping it in his own.
"You…love me?"
She nodded slowly, wrapping her fingers around his. "Yes. I love you. I know…I've never said it until now. I only wish I'd said it sooner." She looked away, her grip loosening momentarily. "I regret so many things: stubbornness, pride, spite, but that I regret most of all—that I didn't tell you every day how much I loved you—or even that I did."
"You're telling me now," he said quietly.
"And from now on, I'll tell you everyday, even if you don't want to hear it!"
He cupped her face in both his hands, trailing a thumb over her cheekbone. "And why wouldn't I want to hear it? Hearing it everyday is something I'd only wished for before." She looked up at him, eyes wide. He leaned forward, kissing her again. "And as for me, I'm going to tell you that I love you until you beg me to stop."
Tears filled her eyes again.
"Oh no," he murmured, thumbing away her tears. "I've said it before…a smile suits you much better."
She stared for a long moment. "Those…words," she stammered. "How do you…?"
He pulled back slightly, a worried look crossing his face. "Yeah," he said, "about that…"
"Come to think of it," she said, studying him carefully, "why are you wearing the Emperor's cape?"
He laughed nervously.
She raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Guy...is there something you're not telling me."
"Maybe," he smiled cryptically.
"Guy."
"All right, all right," he sighed, running a hand tiredly through his hair. He remained silent for a long moment. At last he said, "You remember the party the other night…when you danced with the Emperor?"
She stared. "How did you…?"
He didn't say anything at first. Instead, he reached forward, took hold of her hand and absently stroked it. "I know," he said at last, "because…the person you danced with…it wasn't the Emperor…it was me."
He wasn't sure exactly what reaction to expect from her. He supposed she'd be surprised at the very least, angry at the very worst, so when she only stared in silence for several long moments, he wasn't certain what to think.
At long last, she asked quietly, "You? It was…you?"
He could only nod and tighten his grip on her hand.
Again, she stared. He looked away, fearing the worst, when suddenly she burst out, "Oh thank Lorelei!"
He turned to her, surprised, but she caught him off guard when she sprung forward and wrapped her arms tightly about his shoulders.
"Oh thank Lorelei," she whispered into his shoulder, "I'm so glad."
"Glad?" he asked, returning her gesture and slipping his arms around her. "I thought you'd be angry…at being tricked."
"I am…a little," she admitted quietly, "but more than that, I'm glad—because for a little while, I was worried that I might be attracted to His Majesty." She laughed. "But, if it was you the entire time..." She gave a relieved sigh. "Oh thank Lorelei."
"Thank Lorelei indeed," he laughed. "I was worried that I would get slapped again."
She looked away, blushing furiously. "I—I'm so sorry about that! I didn't mean—!"
"I know. I know. You don't need to apologize."
"You're so good to me," she sighed into his shoulder. "I just wish there was some way to thank you."
"You don't have to thank me," he said. "I'm just happy that we're here together and…that you're not engaged." He hesitated for a moment before pulling away slightly so he could look her in the eyes. "There's only one way I could be happier," he said at last.
"And what is that?" she asked quietly.
"If you were engaged to me."
Her eyes widened at the words. "Are you…proposing?" she asked cautiously, as though afraid she might be mistaken.
"I suppose I am," he murmured.
"Really?"
"Really."
She hesitated again. "Seriously?"
He laughed and reached into his pocket. "Seriously. And I even have the ring to prove it." He opened the bag and dropped the ring into his palm, holding it would for her to see.
Her eyes widened when she saw the bag. "Guy…that ring…."
"I know," he admitted quietly, "I didn't have time to buy a ring because I came here as soon as I found out about the loophole and that—you weren't engaged. Luke gave it to me. Said we needed it more than he and Tear did."
"You came right away?" she asked, still focused on the first part of his statement.
"Yes," he said, clutching the ring tightly in his palm, "because I didn't want to take the chance that something would happen while I was gone—I didn't want…to risk losing you again."
"It was my fault."
He shook his head. "It was mine as well. I shouldn't have told you leave."
She looked away. "I shouldn't have pushed you away in the first place. I was scared."
"So was I," he said, "but when it came right down to it, I was more worried that I wouldn't get a second chance at this."
"So was I," she admitted.
"But here we are, again. We were lucky enough to get a second chance."
"But…I don't deserve it after everything I've done."
"No one ever feels that they do," he said simply. "All that matters right now is that we have this second chance." He fell silent for a moment. "I've never told you how much you mean to me, have I?"
"You told me you loved me," she said, blushing, "but until now, I never knew how much."
"Neither did I," he mused, reaching up with his free hand and trailing his fingers along the side of her face. "I want to tell you, but I can't find any words. So, all I can do is promise you—promise you that I will never leave you—never abandon you. I will remain beside you, supporting you always. And I will do everything in power to ensure your happiness—even if it costs me my life."
"No!"
He pulled back a little, surprised by her outburst.
"No," she said, a little quieter this time. "Don't say that you'd throw your life away so casually," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "Don't you dare do such a thing? Don't you know how much it would hurt me if something were to happen to you?!"
A broken sob escaped her, and he pulled her closer, trying to calm her. The ring fell from his hand, rolling along the floor and coming to a rest a short distance away.
"I don't care about my happiness," she said, her words muffled by his shoulder, "if it means that I have to lose you to find it. In that case, I'd rather be unhappy all my life if it means you'd stay with me." She fell silent for a moment. "If you're going to promise me something, promise me that you won't leave me like that, and that if we have to be apart, that you'll do everything in your power to return to me."
"Of course," he said, "so long as you promise me that you won't try to take every burden upon yourself. I'm here to help you, you know."
"As am I here for you," she said, sitting up. "From now on, whatever comes our way, we'll face it together."
He smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
To his relief, a smile blossomed across her face. "Thank you," she whispered, her blush intensifying.
"So then," he said, "I suppose I should make this official. Now where did that ring go?" He glanced around, spotting it near the fountain. Standing, he walked over and picked it up, letting it rest momentarily in his hand before turning back to her.
She flushed crimson all the way to her hairline and, for a moment, seemed utterly incapable of speech.
He moved over to her and made a motion to kneel, but she stood suddenly, and began tugging on his arm as though trying to help him to his feet.
"What's wrong?" he asked, frozen somewhere between standing and kneeling.
She looked away, avoiding his eyes. "Wait," she said, "please don't kneel."
"Why not?" he asked, concern tingeing his voice.
"Because," she said, helping him back to his feet, "you are my equal. Remember? Whatever happens we'll face it together? From now on, we stand beside each other."
He smiled at her. "We always have," he said quietly, kneeling at her feet, "but still, for this, I'll kneel. It is custom after all."
Before she could protest farther, he took hold of her left hand and slipped the ring onto her ring finger. Her small hand trembled in his.
"Natalia, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
It took her a moment to respond, but then she knelt beside him, leaned over and kissed him full on the lips.
"I take it that's a yes?" he asked breathlessly when she pulled away.
She simply smiled and kissed him again.
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Author's Note:
Ah, fluff and corny dialogue abound in this part, lol! Of the entire story, this was probably the most difficult part to write because I kept trying to make it perfect. I wrote so many outlines of the piece, and it still turned out way differently than I ever imagined. Still, I'm happy with it (especially because of the fluff)!
Anyway, after this there'll be two more chapters: one story chapter that will tie up most of the loose ends and an epilogue. So, until then!