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: Sorry about the insane delay. Life really got in the way this time. Anyway, here is the last actual chapter. There will be an epilogue along with some author's notes. That should be coming out soon, around the beginning of next month about.
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The Party on the Third Night
Tear carefully sipped her wine as she glanced around the party hall. Large numbers of guests teemed on the dance floor, and she, like those who wished to avoid that chaos had chosen to mill about in the general vicinity of the buffet. After all, if she was where the food was, she was certain to spot Luke when he finally emerged from the crowd.
She frowned at her glass.
As of yet he had not once addressed the issue of that mysterious ring. And though she was fairly certain of what—or rather who it was meant for, she still wanted to hear it from his own mouth.
She glanced out a distant window; a large, brilliant moon hung in the sky. Not one mention in nearly twenty-four hours.
She frowned again.
But, of course, there hadn't been much time for them to discuss much of anything this morning. The entire morning had passed by in a blur of congratulations for their newly-engaged friends.
Engaged.
She thought again of the ring and of Luke's not addressing the subject since the previous night at the manor. He had been right then—Guy and Natalia had needed it more than she and Luke did. And she was happy for her friends. But, she couldn't help glancing down at her own, ringless, left hand.
Loud, raucous laughter from the direction of the buffet, breaking her train of thought. Looking up, she noticed two visibly drunk men, both Kimlascan nobles who had probably accompanied some unfortunate women to the party, stumble over to the buffet. Both carried bottles of wine that they had, in all likelihood, stolen from the bar and were taking clumsy swigs from them, the excess liquid dribbling down their chins and onto their jackets.
Several other party-goers lingering nearby moved away discretely under pretense of heading to the dance floor under pretense of finding their partners or of dancing with whomever was standing closest to them. Tear glanced back at the dance floor and even thought momentarily of heading out there to find Luke who had vanished into the throng along Guy whom she assumed needed his friend's help with something, but the thought of dealing with the crowds did not appeal to her in the least. So, she did the only thing she could think of: she slowly moved away and tried to remain inconspicuous.
As she inched away, however, a giggling woman standing nearby took a teasing step away from the man who was flirting with her. Unfortunately, this sent her on a collision course for Tear who was not paying attention to the movements of nearby people. She bumped into Tear, catching her off-guard and causing her to spill her wine all over the front of her clothes.
The woman turned her to her, apologizing profusely. Tear waved her off, saying it was all right. Frankly, she was grateful that she hadn't given into Luke's earlier pleading and worn the lavish and, undoubtedly expensive silk gown that he had picked out for her. Instead, she had stood her ground and worn her usual Order of Lorelei uniform. At least it was dark-colored so that the wine stain wouldn't show up too obviously.
"I'm glad your clothes aren't ruined, dear," the woman said with a relieved smile.
"I'll be fine," Tear assured her.
The woman smiled again and gave a quick curtsy before heading off to the dance floor with her partner. Tear watched them as they walked away.
She thought back to the drunkards who were still loitering near the table, reminding herself that not all nobles were like them. There were some that like Peony, Guy, Natalia, and Lady Susanne who were honestly good and kind. And Luke was one of them.
Warm pride briefly flared in her heart. It didn't matter to her that he was the son of a Duke or that he was potentially in line for the throne of Kimlasca. In fact, that sort of thing had never mattered to her at all—had never once influenced the way she had felt about him. Whether she worried for him, was annoyed at him or loved him—it was all genuine. And even when they had been at odds with each other in the beginning, even his feelings were likely genuine. She remembered what he had said in the manor the other day when he had told her briefly of the three years before their reunion at Tataroo Valley.
Because…even when I couldn't remember her name or her face, I knew without a doubt that she was worth it! That…whatever I had to go through, whatever I had to sacrifice to return to her—I knew that I'd rather give everything else up than live without her!
Her face flushed at the memory, and she brought her free hand up to instinctively hide her blush. When she was finally calm again her hand slid from her face to rest at her side. As it did she glanced down at it once again, a small smiled tugging at the corners of her lips. Ring or no ring, she knew he loved her, and that was more than enough.
"Hey! You, wench!"
A voice broke into her train of thoughts, and instantly the blush was gone, replaced by her practice frown. Those drunk nobles were harassing someone now, probably some poor girl who couldn't defend herself. Tear sighed, turned and ran smack dab into one of the men who, apparently, had been headed for her. She set herself firmly, adopting a stance that would allow her to take whatever action was necessary—whether defensive or offensive. For a moment, she found herself wishing that she had at least brought her throwing knives, but, at Luke's request, she had left them behind at the inn. Still, judging from the mens' level of intoxication, she wouldn't need any weapons to fight them. But, in the back of her mind, a voice—oddly enough, Luke's—reminded her that it was always better to try for the non-violent approach first.
But these men were trying her patience.
"Hey yous, soldier," slurred drunkard number one. "Whater yous doin' here?"
Drunkard number two hiccuped. "Yeas, dun yous know this party's only for ush nobles? Yous ain't got no right to be here."
Her frown deepened into a scowl. "I was invited," she said firmly.
The taller man seemed to consider this for a moment—well, at least as seriously as a drunk can consider anything. "And whos invited you?"
Tear opened her mouth to respond but was cut off when someone else said, "I did."
Luke stepped forward from the crowd and stood beside her, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You okay?" he asked her quietly.
"Yes," she said, "dealing with drunks is just…" she pinched the bridge of her nose as though to ward off an oncoming headache, "irritating."
Luke gave a quick laugh. "As 'irritating' as I used to be?"
"No," she said with a smile, "you used to be worse."
He pretended to scowl. "I should have known you'd say that."
She simply smiled again.
"And just who are you?" demanded the shorter drunk, gesturing in Luke's general direction.
Luke turned his attention back to the two nobles. "I am Luke fon Fabre, son of Duke Fabre of Kimlasca, and this woman," he turned back to Tear, "if she wishes, shall soon become a member of my family." He paused, blushing for a moment. "And so, if you insult her, you insult me and my family."
"Not to mention the Kimlascan throne," added another voice.
Tear turned to find that Natalia and Guy had emerged from the crowd and now stood beside her and Luke.
"And, the Malkuth nobility," added Jade as he too stepped forward, Anise trailing along behind him.
"Malkuth nobility?" asked the taller drunk, seemingly more alert now that he was confronted by a larger group of people.
Jade merely smiled his sweet, threatening smile. "Oh yes. Her Highness has already said that, if you insult House Fabre, you also insult the Kimlascan throne. And, as Her Highness is marrying a Malkuth noble, you, in turn, would be insulting Malkuth nobility."
The threat did not seem to faze the two nobles, so much so as the news delivered via the threat.
The shorter man turned desperately to the princess. "Marriage, Your Highness? To a Malkuth noble?"
"Is there something wrong with that?" she demanded. "Our two countries are at peace now. I intend to keep it that way, and I'm sure His Majesty will do everything in his power as well."
"But, Your Highness," the tall man cut in, "there's been no…" he seemed to struggle to find a word, "news about any…decision."
Mercifully, Jade answered instead. "The proceedings were carried out in secret," he said, "away from the public eye, as it was predicted that there would be some…objections to such a union." He faked a sigh. "But now that a decision has been reached, arrangements have been made and the banns will be posted tomorrow morning."
The short man nearly fainted. "Banns? So, it's…official?"
Anise grinned wickedly. "You're not that drunk, if that's what you mean."
Seemingly sobered by the sudden news, both men exchanged nervous glances. At last, the shorter one dared to speak.
"So…if I may ask…Your Highness," he stammered, "…who are you marrying?"
At first, her only response was to blush and look away. She glanced from one friend to the next, before turning back to the two men.
"I…"
"She's marrying Duke Gardios," said someone behind the group.
Everyone turned. Tear nearly dropped the glass she had been holding.
Guy stared for a long moment. "Your Majesty!" he exclaimed, the others mimicking his startled shout.
At this, the Emperor simply grinned. "Yo!"
"W-what are you doing here?" Luke stammered.
"Is it so strange for me to be here in my own palace?" he asked innocently.
"N-no," Luke admitted after a pause. "It's just—"
"…that I'd heard you weren't even in the city," Guy finished for him.
The Emperor turned to him, smiling. "And where did you hear that, Duke Gardios?"
"Jade mentioned it offhand and…wait a minute." He paused. "Your Majesty…"
He trailed off, letting his silence ask the question.
The Emperor, seemingly unfazed, smiled. "Yes, Duke Gardios?" he asked again, placing emphasis on the title.
Guy fell silent, caught somewhere between confusion and tact. He glanced helplessly to the others but all were as shocked as he was—except for Jade who was his normal, composed self.
"At any rate," Jade said, turning to address the two men, "your question has been answered. So, I suggest you take your leave now."
The tall man simmered. "And what gives you the right—!"
"Enough!" Natalia snapped. "Your presence in such a state disrespects not only me but His Majesty as well!"
"But…Your Highness," the shorter man began rather meekly.
She fixed him with a glare. "You will both leave. Now. Before you embarrass me any further."
Both men fell silent, then glanced back at each member of the group before slinking away sullenly.
Guy watched them go in silence.
"Are you sure you should have been so…harsh?" he asked the Princess who stood beside him.
She frowned momentarily. "Sometimes you have to be," she said at last, "or they'll never learn. They'll only become more and more disrespectful and…" her words trailed off into silence. "Let's just say that being too kind, might eventually do more harm than good."
It was his turn to frown.
"Please, don't give me that look," she sighed. "I know it sounds cruel, but, you can't forget that as nobles, it is our job to set a good example—to represent our respective countries so to speak. And, as much as I am loathe to say it, the behavior of those men reflects on Kimlasca, and, in their current state, it reflects negatively." She paused momentarily. "Not only might such unbecoming conduct lead to worse conduct on their parts if it is not corrected, but it might also lead to a loss of respect for the country that they represent. In the long run, it might even lead to other, more terrible consequences, and it is my duty to protect my country from such consequences." Despite the seriousness of the topic, a slight smile crossed her face as she turned to look at him. "Just as it will soon be yours."
"What? Me?" he asked startled.
"Of course," she said matter-of-factly. "You are marrying the heir to the throne after all. It's only natural that, when I 'inherit' the throne from my father—though, technically, you'll be doing the inheriting—you will become king."
"King?" he burst out, drawing stares from his friends.
She sighed again. "Don't tell me you didn't know."
"N-no," he said, tugging nervously at his collar, "I knew. It's just—I never really thought that much about it."
"When courting the crown princess," she said, with a smile, "that's the first thing most people would think about."
"I guess I'm not like 'most people'," he replied, returning her smile.
Her smile widened into a grin. "That, you're most certainly not."
She leaned towards him and pecked him chastely on the cheek.
"That's all I get?" he laughed when she pulled away.
"Time and place," she grinned. "We have to set an example, remember?"
"Is that so?" he asked with a devilish grin. "In that case…"
He leaned forward and whispered something in her ear to which she responded by flushing bright red. She opened and closed her mouth several times, but no words came out. Instead, she tried her best to glare, but it only came out as an embarassed stare.
He placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump slightly. "Don't worry," he said, "I'll be good 'til then. After that, though…"
If she had been red before, she was positively crimson now.
Mercifully, Anise broke in before she could respond. "All right, break it up!" Anise pouted. "Enough with the mush, you two. No need to rub your wonderful happiness in us poor, single peoples' faces."
"Jealous much, Anise?" Natalia asked when she regained some of her composure.
"YES! First Luke and Tear and now you two! Agh! I'm the only one left!"
Natalia shrugged. "There's always Jade."
"He doesn't count," Anise replied immediately.
"Oh, I'm so hurt," Jade replied blithely in the background.
"Or what about Florian?" Tear suggested cautiously.
Anise cringed, then said, "He doesn't count either."
"Poor guy," Luke sighed.
"What about His Majesty?" Guy offered.
Anise considered this for a moment.
"Sorry, kiddo," Peony said quickly, "I'm single, and I plan to stay that way. No offense, Princess."
"None taken," Natalia replied.
Anise gave a heaving sigh. "There's no one left!"
"Well," Tear suggested, "why don't you try meeting someone here? This party's full of nobles."
"I did already," she admitted quickly. "But the only person who'd even talk to me was this weird guy who was crying bloody murder about your old engagement to the Emperor."
Peony turned to Jade. "Engaged?" he asked, "I was engaged?"
Jade shrugged. "Supposedly."
"Wait a second," Natalia cut in, "…a 'weird guy'?"
Anise nodded. "Yep." She glanced around. "But don't worry. I don't see him around here. After all, the Colonel gave him hell."
Natalia turned to Jade, ignoring Anise's attempt at a joke. "Was it…?"
He nodded curtly. "Yes. But he was only being a nuisance. Nothing more." Jade shrugged again. "At any rate, he's gone now."
Natalia couldn't suppress a grin. "You didn't do anything…violent, I hope."
"Just the usual."
"I see."
"Anyway," Guy said, "who are we all talking about?"
"Just Alpine's son," Natalia said with a dismissive gesture. "I ran into him the other night."
Guy laughed. "So he actually made it here?"
"I guess Alpine finished his 'state business'," Natalia quipped.
Guy glanced off into the crowd. "Still…"
"It bothers you? That he was complaining?"
"Kind of," he admitted. He glanced away when she frowned. "It's just that…if he was concerned about your marrying the Emperor, what would he say about your marrying me? Even though I'm a Count now, I was once a servant. I mean…"
"It doesn't matter what he…or anyone else thinks," she said quickly. She moved so she could face him. "We chose each other. That's all there is to it."
Her words should have comforted him, but he couldn't bring himself to smile. "But…"
"Are you regretting this?" she asked without looking at him.
His response was immediate. "Of course not! It's just," he looked away, "I want to be worthy of you."
"You are," she said firmly.
He shook his head. "That's not what I meant," he said. "I mean...our situation is…extraordinary to say the least. Under normal circumstances, a Princess would not marry a Count. She would, in all likelihood, marry a Duke or someone who would eventually inherit the title."
"You're worried about your title?" she asked, confused.
"I—no, I don't think so," he said, "I…I can't explain exactly what I'm worried about."
"Neither can I," a familiar voice cut in. The duo turned to find the Emperor standing behind them. "But, I think I can help you."
"What do you mean, Your Majesty?" Guy asked, puzzled.
"About your title," Peony replied as he handed Guy a scroll. "This is part of the reason I was away from Grand Chokmah these past few days."
Natalia raised an eyebrow. "And the other part?"
Peony grinned. "Oh nothing, I just went to see…someone special."
Natalia smiled. "You mean Lady Nephry."
The Emperor did not respond; he only smiled vaguely.
"At any rate," Jade said somewhat stiffly, "I believe that document will interest you more than His Majesty's travels. Am I right, Guy?"
The swordsman did not respond. Everyone turned to him, only to find him staring in disbelief at the paper.
"What is it?" Natalia asked, concerned.
Guy mutely handed her the paper. She took it and began to read.
"Gailardia Galan Gardios, this letter has been written to inform you that your rightful title of Duke Gardios has been restored through the intervention of Emperor Peony the Ninth of the Malkuth Empire, King Ingobert the Sixth of Kimlasca and Acting Grand Maestro Tritheim of the Order of Lorelei all of whom have contributed funds to restore your rightful inheritance…" she looked up, stunned. "What is…?"
"That?" the Emperor smiled, "only a little something for an old friend." His smile widened into a grin. "Just consider it…a wedding gift of sorts."
"But…why…how, Your Majesty?" Guy asked after a long silence. "I thought…my true title…"
"Was that of 'Count'?" the Emperor asked.
"Well…yes," the swordsman answered.
"And that's where you're mistaken," Jade said, stepping in.
"What…?"
Jade readjusted his glasses and gave a long-suffering sigh. "Honestly, you haven't put it together yet?" Guy did not respond; he only waited for Jade to continue. Jade sighed again and said, "How I loathe explaining things, but, in this case, I suppose it can't be helped. At any rate, Guy, your father was a Duke not a Count. Hod was the site of Yulia's grave as well as one of the premier fomicry projects in all Malkuth. The island was of great importance to Malkuth; it only makes sense that the ruler of that island would be someone of high rank—most likely someone the Emperor could trust. In other words…"
"One of his blood relatives," Natalia finished. "Meaning…he would, in all likelihood…be a Duke…" She looked back to Jade. "Then why…?"
"Was he made a Count and not a Duke?" Jade asked, finishing her question for her. "Because, when Hod was destroyed, he lost his entire inheritance—land…money…everything. Without his fortune, it would have been difficult for him to claim any title higher than Viscount. It was only because of his role in the lowering of the lands that the Council approved granting him the title of Count. But, now that he is in possesion of a fortune befitting a Duke, he can easily reclaim his true title."
Natalia glanced from Jade to Guy, waiting for a response from the blond swordsman.
After a long moment, he looked up, eyes misted, struggling valiantly to keep his composure. "Your Majesty," he said at last, "I…you…thank you…it's nowhere near enough…but…it's all I can say…I—" He broke off into a strangled sound and turned away quickly. After a long moment, he turned back, slightly more composed than before. When he opened his mouth to speak, but the Emperor cut him off.
"No need to thank us, Gailardia," Peony announced. "We're only giving you what you rightly deserve. And you still have to walk the rappigs…whenever you're in town, that is."
"O-of course, Your Majesty," he said, his voice catching slightly.
Peony grinned from ear to ear. "Well then, in that case, I'll take my leave now."
This caught Anise's attention. "But Your Majesty," she said, "you have to dance at least one dance at your own party!"
This started a debate between Anise and the Emperor as to whether or not it was impolite not to dance at one's own party. Jade simply turned away to watch. Luke and Tear seemed be engrossed in their own conversation.
"A…Duke?" Guy murmured to himself.
Natalia smiled. "I'm happy for you," she said quietly.
He remained silent for a moment. "I'm so happy at this moment—happier than I'd ever thought I would be. And there's only one way I could be happier."
She blinked a couple times. "And what would that be?"
He couldn't help smiling at her. "Do you…really need to ask?"
She smiled. "No, of course not," she murmured.
They fell silent for a long moment. In the other corner, Luke laughed loudly. About what, she did not know, but Tear appeared to be smiling as well, so she assumed it was funny.
Natalia glanced down guiltily at the ring on her finger before glancing back to her two friends. Guy followed her gaze, realizing what she was thinking when he too saw the ring.
He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We can always get another one," he agreed.
She glanced back to their friends before slipping the ring off her finger. "After all, they need it more than we do," she grinned as she passed him the ring.
"That they do," he agreed as he turned to head over to his friend.
"Luke!"
The redhead in question looked up at the sound of his name. "Yeah?"
Guy grinned as he tossed the ring in his friend's direction. "Catch!"
Luke caught the small object easily and turned it over several times in the palm of his hand. "What is—?" He looked up to his friend for an explanation, but Guy had already disappeared into the crowd, and Natalia had gone along with him. Luke glanced helplessly to Jade and Anise, both of whom shrugged, before looking back to Tear who still stood beside him.
She too looked down at the ring in his hand. "Luke…is that…?"
Despite himself, his face flushed red. "Umm…let's talk about this-"
"Now?" she suggested.
"I was going to say 'outside'," he said innocently.
She couldn't help smiling. "Outside would be fine."
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Luke settled down on one of the benches in the plaza out front the palace. Tear sat beside him. A comfortable silence settled between them.
"About…what happened back there…" Tear began after a long moment.
Luke sighed. "I'm sorry. If I'd know that'd happen, I would've stayed with you."
"That's…not what I was talking about," she said.
He stared for a moment, his face turned a brilliant shade of crimson. "A-about that…"
"Yes."
The word was so sudden and unexpected, that, for a moment, all he could do was stare, wide-eyed and open-mouthed. "Y-yes?" he asked cautiously, hopefully when he regained the ability to speak.
She nodded, blushing. "Earlier…you said that…if I wished it I…would become a member of your family." She paused. "If that means what I think it means…then my answer…is yes. I…wish it."
He looked down to the ring which he still held in his palm. "You…you mean…?"
Gently, she folded his fingers closed over the ring. "I don't need a ring," she said quietly, "your word is enough for me."
For a moment, he was at a loss for words. At last he said, "If you say so," while slipping the ring onto her finger anyway. Looking down, at her hand, she smiled.
"Idiot," she murmured as he caught her lips in a kiss.
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Author's Note:
Again, sorry this part was so late. It was really hard to write this because I wasn't sure what to include. And sorry to all the Luke x Tear fans if the proposal scene seemed disappointing. They were already together so there wasn't too much to resolve. Anyway, the get all of "The Second Hand of Fate" to themselves.
Saa…I can't believe this fic is almost finished. One more chapter and it's done. As sad as I am to see it go, I'm also excited about writing other stories. At any rate, I'm going to finish this fic. So, see you in the next and last chapter. Until then!