~x~

Final Fantasy VI: The Sands of Time

Book 1: The Beginning

Chapter 3 - For the Lovers

Part 3.5 - Star of the West

Draco's mind flitted between the truths and half-truths Ralse had told him, struggling to filter out what was real. His head ached at the seemingly hopeless situation before him. One thing he knew for sure, though: he had to escape tonight. Soon his love and his kingdom would belong to this vile man, and he could not let that happen.

On the other side of the castle, another prisoner mulled over similar thoughts. A beautiful woman sat in her dressing room, preparing for a moment she had dreaded and hoped would never come. Her clear blue eyes twinkled with tears, each one a perfect orb reflecting the stars outside her open balcony. Framing her eyes, her long blonde hair fell to the floor like strands of sunbeams, the curls and waves reflecting light like a new day rising. To complete the heavenly portrait, her milky-white skin glowed in the darkness with a pallid sadness that seemed to compete with the twin moons' own mournful auras. She was in every aspect a celestial body, and her name was Maria Chere, known as the Star of the West to all who beheld her.

With trembling fingers she attempted to fasten a blue ribbon to her golden hair, the dreaded ceremonies making even this mundane task near impossible. She knew Ralse must be lying about Draco's death on the battlefield. She swore she could still feel his heart beating with hers. The war had ended, though, and Draco had never returned. Maria began to fear the worst may perhaps be true and broke down into quiet sobs, fearing for her future, and the future of her unborn child.

A knock on the door interrupted her dispair, and an elderly man dressed in the thick, extravagant robes of the West walked in and bowed briefly before addressing her.

"My Lady, the ceremonies have begun, and you must prepare yourself for the opening dance. I understand your feelings about the East, but it is not wise to upset Prince Ralse. Please, come with me."

"Leave me, Chancellor. I wish to be alone a bit longer. Tell Ralse I will join him shortly. I...need to get a breath of fresh air first. There is too much commotion going on in the castle these days, and I am feeling light-headed. I will be out on the balcony if you need me. Please, grant me this one last chance...to say good-bye."

"As you wish, My Lady. I will be waiting in the hallway."

Maria thanked the Chancellor and nodded at him to leave her. Once alone, she numbly stood and walked over to the balcony as if in a trance, her heart leading her where her mind refused to go. She stopped on the lower teir of the balcony and looked out over the gloomy treetops of the Glastok woods spread out before her. Where out there was her love? She slowly began to walk forward to the upper level, lifting up her voice as if in song, and cried out into the night, praying for the gods to hear her plight.

"Draco, my hero, you seem so far away from me now. Will I ever see your smile again?"

Maria fondly clinged to the last memories she had of her love, right on this very spot. He had went away into the fading night and left with the coming day, his smile the last remnant of their love in her now fading memory. That moment seemed like a dream to her now, as night once again came to the West, and the darkness spread over Maria.

"Without you I feel so empty. I am nothing more than this darkness now, and you were the stars that filled the void of my lonely heart. Our love burned brighter than the sun, do you remember?"

More memories of Draco came flooding back to her as she cried out. Memories of the long talks they had in the moonlight about Fate and Destiny. Memories of their eternal love, as if they were chosen for each other by the gods. Memories of the solemn promise they made to never leave each other's hearts, no matter what fate befell them. Must she forget these things now?

A cool wind blew threw Maria's hair as she stepped up onto the upper balcony, causing her to shiver with cold. The only thing she wore was a thin silk dress that had been made especially for her wedding to Draco. Tears once more started to flow from her eyes, and she tried in vain to hold them back. She cursed herself for her weakness, and continued her lament.

"This cold autumn wind seems to pull the memories of the warm springtime we last spent together straight from my chest. What am I supposed to do? Draco...I'm lost without you. Please, speak to me once more!"

She once again remembered the night Draco had asked her to marry him, the very night he left. He had invited her up to the balcony and playfully asked her to dance under the moon and stars with him. The Dragon was as graceful a dancer as he was a fighter, and Maria blushed as he held her close to him and led her step by step. They circled to and fro under the stars for what seemed like hours before he quietly brought a beautiful bouquet of vibrant red roses from under his cape and laughed.

"Maria, my love, let us pledge our eternal love right here, under these stars. I leave at dawn, and I must know you love me with all your heart before we part. Marry me, Maria. Unite with me here, tonight. Let us show this entire world that our love will never fade!"

Maria closed her eyes as she vividly recalled that night. Silently, subtly, without realizing where she was, she began slowly retracing her steps around the balcony, pretending her lover was in her arms, just like that night. She took the phantom bouquet of roses from him, and walked up to the farthest ledge of the balcony. She stood motionless for a moment, reality slowly and painfully coming back to her.

As she opened her eyes to harsh darkness before her, a shooting star raced across the heavens. She imagined it was Draco's spirit, saying good-bye, and as the Dragon of the West arced across the sky, she threw the bouquet up to him, hoping he would catch it and come back to him.

The star faded from view, and the bouquet also vanished from Maria's sight as her senses fully came back. She weeped for the loss of the only joy that had been her life for so long, and despair entered her mind.

"We must part now, my love. My life goes on, and I must forget these foolish fancies of the past. But...my heart still won't give you up, no matter how hard I try."

With doubt entering her mind, Maria turned to leave the balcony and fulfill her new role as Queen. Her heart wouldn't let her give up on her hero just yet though. Before she walked away, she made one final oath to the heavens.

"Draco! I only wish to hear you say I meant as much to you as you meant to me. So gently you touched my heart that night. I will forever be your bride. Come what may, I won't age a day. I will still be the woman you left standing here, waiting for you always..."

Maria closed her eyes once more, anguish and despair overcoming her. For a moment she thought of throwing herself from the balcony and ending everything. Feelings as though nothing was left in this cruel world for her to live for flooded her mind, and at that moment all she wanted was to be with Draco. Maybe this was the only way...

As if to answer her plea, another star blazed across the horizon, leaving a sparkling trail of dust behind it. A ray of hope suddenly fell onto Maria's troubled soul, and for a moment she swore she had heard Draco's voice cry out to her from the darkness. She quickly collected herself and decided to live, and keep living, not just for her sake, but for her child's. She would protect him and raise him to be just like his father, a constant reminder of the brave Christophe line that would live on through him.

As she was turning away from the balcony, the Chancellor rushed up to her, a look of concern on his aged face.

"Lady Maria, Prince Ralse is growing most impatient with your absence. He demands your presence as his partner for the dance. I understand how you must be feeling, but you must leave the past behind and embrace our new rule. The rest of the kingdom is adopting the spirit of the East, and it would do the citizens good to see that you are as well. I am sorry for your loss, but you have been given a rare opportunity to guide the kingdom. Ralse has always been quite taken with you, and I am sure you can help to turn his mind and heart to better ends. You are the Star of the West, My Lady, and no one can deny your pure-spirited desire for peace long. Now, come with me, the Prince awaits."

"Yes, I have been selfish, Chancellor. You are right, as always. I must focus my energies on bringing this realm to peace, as Draco would have done. I promise to build the world he always wanted for his child, even if I must do it through that vermin, Ralse. I am ready now. Let us be off."

With thoughts of her lost love still echoing through her mind, Maria bravely stepped forward into the future, determined to create the world her betrothed had fought for with the same undying conviction he had shown.