From her seat on the windowsill, Talim looked out at the night sky blankly. Dumas had locked her in another bedroom after they returned to the castle and for the past few days, he avoided visiting her after she had threatened to jump out the window if she saw him.

Because of that, Dumas had decided that it would be best to wait for her to calm down until he had a talk with her and he had no choice but to let her have a different room that was far away from him. With a mournful sigh, she pressed her forehead against the cool glass and closed her eyes, feeling trapped and suffocated.

"This is bad," thought Dumas, pacing around his study with a deep frown on his face. For the following nights, Talim's screams echoed down the hallway and the servants reported to him that she couldn't sleep because she kept having nightmares. She wasn't eating the food the servants were bringing her either and her eyes needed its daily dose of medication. However, she still refused to see him. He bit his lips in annoyance at how difficult she was being. But he quickly remembered how he nearly forced her into sleeping with him. The memory brought on a deep sense of guilt and he cursed his stupidity. A knock on his door interrupted his thoughts. "What is it?"

The servant behind the door hastily apologized for disturbing him. "I'm sorry to bother you my lord, but lady Talim did not touch her dinner... again." The servant quickly backed away as the doors flew open; Dumas headed towards Talim's room at a brisk pace and with a concerned expression on his face.

Unlocking the door, he found her quietly sleeping against the window. He couldn't fathom how she managed to fall asleep as she sat on the wide windowsill but if he had to guess, he would say that the exhaustion had finally caught up with her.

He looked at her observantly and noted that her body was slightly hunched over, unconsciously trying to ward of the chill from the glass. The thin white nightgown didn't offer much warmth and her head tilted slightly, causing a few strands of hair to fall in front of her face.

He closed the doors quietly before walking through the dark room. Picking her up gently, he carried her to the bed and placed her down carefully. To his surprise, she held on to the fabric of his dark blue silk shirt. Not knowing how to extract himself from her hold, he settled her against his chest as he sat down and leaned against the headboards.

Stroking her hair, he looked at her longingly. For some reason, he had always been drawn to her. The same way a fire burns brighter when there's wind or the same way the moon needs the light of the sun. He had always longed to be in her presence. She and Amy were the only two people who cared for him... Burying his face in her hair, he breathed in deeply and slid one hand down to her waist. Covering them with the light green blanket, he held her close and smiled when she rested her head against his chest and slept on. Softly, he whispered, "I'm sorry..." Closing his eyes, he rested his chin on top of her head and drifted off to sleep.

As the warm sun rays hit her, Talim winced slightly and turned on to her right side. But then she heard something that banished all the warmth from her body. "Good morning Talim."

Immediately, she sat up and pulled the green blankets up to her chest. "Dumas! What are you doing here!"

Sitting on the windowsill, he replied hesitantly, "You weren't eating your meals so I decided to come and check up on you. And I still have to treat your eyes."

Talim turned away from him. "I don't want to see you. Leave me alone Dumas."

Her voice was sharp, rejecting and full of dislike towards him. She was clearly not in the mood to even speak with him. Swallowing some of his pride, he walked over and sat down on the green circular bed. "Talim, I really am sorry for being... so forceful that night. Please forgive me."

Talim held a hand to her mouth and closed her eyes, still feeling incredibly violated and hurt. She thought she was giving herself to Raphael and yet it was another man who had touched her and kissed her. He probably wanted her so desperately, that he was willing to not only act as a replacement, but trick her into thinking he was Raphael! What a terribly loathsome man, to have played with her feelings like that. If he had been honest, she might have really considered pursuing that chance. But now, absolutely never, would she even consider it. Her shoulders rose up and down from distress and she looked away in sorrow. "Let me go. I don't want to stay here anymore..."

"I'm afraid you do not have a say in the matter Talim. You belong to me and this is your new home." His voice dropped slightly. "You are not leaving."

Talim looked at him fearfully and realized she had truly become a prisoner in this place. The room felt alot colder as he gazed at her possessively. "You can't hold me here with your lies and now you're physically going to cage me?" She shook her head and hissed at him like a cat. "I'd sooner jump out of that window and risk breaking my legs than even look at you!"

Before she knew it, he had grabbed both of her hands in his and pinned her against the headboards. "I am Raphael and I have waited for you all these years. I have saved you and done everything for you... and you dare say something like that to me?!"

"I am a human being! I am not an object that you can keep nor am I a pet that you own! You can't force someone to love you." Talim fought against his grip fiercely. "You are not Raphael! Even if you look, act and speak like him, you're a fake! He would never do this to me!" Talim turned her head away from him. "I heard the things that you said to Patroklos and with the purge you're conducting, you have ruined millions of lives. I cannot possibly love someone like you."

"I'm doing this for the sake of the malfested!" he snapped back at her. "Soon, this world will belong to us!"

Talim argued back. "Just as I don't belong to you, this world doesn't either! You may have saved many of your people but you have also sacrificed many human lives Dumas. The purge... it's all a lie! You're only doing it to kill everyone that's human! I don't want to be with someone so cruel and wicked! Let me go!"

He leaned close to her and repeated, "Never, you are mine and you belong to me. You and Amy shall be by my side forever... whether you like it or not."

Talim said angrily, "I don't know what powers you have but stop looking into my mind and manipulating my memories. Your tricks won't work Dumas. I won't let myself confused you with Raphael again. "

He stared deeply into her chocolate orbs and leaned in to kiss her cheek; which made her flinch immediately but he didn't care. " I am Raphael and sooner or later, you will learn to accept the truth. I have waited seventeen years Talim. I can wait alittle longer until you agree to be my queen. Even if it means keeping you here forever..."

Talim said in a low tone of voice, "You will soon learn that no one can imprison the wind for long."

He let out a bark of laughter as he released her. "No one leaves or comes without my orders. You are clever and quick but it will not be enough to escape me." Grabbing her hand, he dragged her out of bed. "Come. We're having breakfast."

Talim struggled against his grip but he was too strong. Her hair swung back and forth as they exited the room and he pulled her down to the dining room. "Dumas! Let me go this instant! I'm not even properly dressed!" One side of her shoulder was exposed and she hurriedly pulled the night dress up. "Let me go!"

"You should have eaten your meals before making me come and drag you to the dining table myself Talim. This is for your health and well-being, not mine."

She dug her feet into the roll of red carpet lying over the wooden floor of the hallway. "You can't make me eat."

By now, many of the maids and servants had noticed and they stood on the sidelines silently. Coming to a stop, Dumas stared down at her. "Watch me." He pointed to the servants around them. "If you don't eat then all the servants will starve with you."

Talim gasped. "You can't do that!"

He smirked. "Can't I?" He looked over at his servants and said, "If I tell you to die for me, wouldn't you all? If I starved you, who here wishes to complain?"

They all bowed down low. One maid said quietly, "Our lives belong to you, my lord. Without you, we would have all died already. Whatever you wish of us, we would give."

"Do you hear that, Talim?" The triumphant tone was obvious in his voice. "My people would do anything for me. I have been a good king to them and to you, I only wish to show the same care in return for your obedience."

She glared at him. "I stand for both the malfested and the humans, I don't have that luxury, Dumas." She pulled her hand away and stood up straight. "Respect, love and obedience must be earned, not commanded. I see no reason why I should show you any of that." When Dumas moved towards her, she lifted her head and met his eyes straight on. Her heart raced when he suddenly kissed her, and she bit his lips. "Don't touch me!" She pushed him away and pressed herself against the wall of the hallway.

"That fire in your eyes, it's intoxicating," he murmured, wiping his mouth of the blood and smiling at her. "You've grown into such a powerful, strong and beautiful woman. Yet, you still hold the same compassion and gentleness in your heart, it fascinates me so." Gazing into her eyes, he removed his mask. "I love you more every day, Talim."

Talim's heart pounded in her chest as she saw Raphael's face. With a muffled cry, she put a hand to her mouth. "Stop this! I don't know why you look exactly like him, act like him and have his memories of Amy and me but you're not him! You're only looking into my mind for these memories... you're not him... not him..." She sank to the ground and clutched her head. "I won't betray him for you. You aren't him and I won't let myself have any feelings for you... I swear it."

The servants were staring at this scene with shock before Dumas made a gesture and ordered them to leave. He calmly asked, "How can you be sure that I'm not him?"

Talim murmured, "The wind around you is completely different from Raphael's. You don't have the same curse he has from being a malfested. He has fangs and he needs blood to keep himself strong. Daytime is one of his weaknesses and yet you're standing in complete sunlight." Talim looked down at the ground dejectedly. "I thought that you might have been him; I actually prayed that you were..." A sad smile crossed her face. "After devouring a part of my soul, he wouldn't need to drink as much blood and sunlight should no longer have much of an effect on him. That's why I had hoped that you were him. How silly of me." A look of rare bitterness marred Talim's usually serene face. "All these years seems to have made me desperate."

He bent down to her level and helped her stand up gently. How in the world will he tell her that after making the pact with Soul Edge, he was no longer what you would call a 'vampire'. That curse laid with his other self now. Just from knowing he was Dumas, she had already attempted to run away from him. He feared about how she would react if she knew he was now the Azure Knight. Closing his eyes, he whispered, "I'm sorry..."

"I... hate you," groaned Raphael as he held his stomach in pain. In his room, Hilde, Siegfried, Salia and Viola were watching him with worried eyes; except for the emotionless seer. Pointing at Siegfried, Raphael groaned, "If you ever give me your nasty blood again, I will personally throw you into a river. Ugh..." Pulling the white blankets over himself, he continued groaning.

"I-I'm sorry," stammered Siegfried. "I didn't know that my blood was harmful to you."

Hilde sighed and sat down in a simple oak chair. She looked at the bottles of blood resting on the table and picked up one of them. The light from the single candle on that table highlighted the red liquid inside and she said, "Perhaps drinking one of these should help you recover?"

Raphael gagged at the thought of eating or drinking anything. Rolling over, he hit the wall and shook his head. The pain had hit him for almost a whole day and he had only gotten out of bed to go to the bathroom to vomit.

When he first arrived, he actually thought that things were going marvelously well. The room they gave him was quite spacious and nicely decorated. A simple but elegant gold rug laid in the middle of the floor while a simple table and two chairs sat directly on top of the rug. A small vase of flowers on the table gave the room a pleasant scent and he liked the two small windows his room had. The single bed was clean and it smelled rather nice; to his surprise. He found the pillows to be plump and soft while the white blankets with a few gold stitches added a nice touch. The two candle holders on the wall provided a good source of light but he requested an extra candle for the table in case he wanted to read. All in all, he was quite pleased with the Schwarzwind. Until this happened...

Salia stroked her chin thoughtfully and nudged her captain; whispering quietly, "Siegfried, didn't Talim mention that Raphael almost died the first time he drank her pure blood?"

Siegfried's eyes widened. "I guess that was a rather important fact that I forgot..."

Viola tilted her head and said, "Don't worry, you'll live through this. So please just take it like a man so that I can go back to sleep."

"Oh no you don't," huffed Raphael. "If there's someone I'm blaming besides Siegfried, it's you woman. You could have prevented this!"

Viola looked at the suffering man warily. "I read the future. I don't change or question it and if I recall correctly, I did warn you about this."

The Frenchman growled, "You said food poisoning! This is blood poisoning!"

"My apologies." Viola gave him a small curtsy and said sarcastically, "It's not my fault you don't understand and it's not my problem so I don't really care. In fact, I'm enjoying your girly complaints. Real men keep quiet when they're in pain. Like Zwei for example. He suffered a horrible infection from an injury and I didn't hear him complain."

Raphael retorted, " Sounds nasty. I'm guessing this friend of yours didn't bother keeping the wound clean. He must be lacking in hygiene."

Viola's eyes flashed. "How dare you-"

"Enough," interrupted Hilde firmly. Their childish bickering was starting to give her a headache. Addressing Raphael, she said, "You're probably not in too much pain since your witty comebacks seems to indicate this. And Viola, please refrain from antagonizing our guest."

At the same time, Raphael and Viola said, "He/She started it."

Just in time, a mercenary knocked on the door. "Captain! I have a message from Zwei!"

Siegfried quickly went to the door and grabbed the letter before dismissing the man. Walking back, he read the letter quickly and smiled. "At last, Zwei said he has finally found someone who may be able to wield Soul Calibur."

Raphael sat up quickly. "Did you say Soul Calibur?"

Siegfried quickly remembered that Raphael had looked for the legendary sword in the past to 'make his new world' but in the end, Talim had finally convinced him to abandon the plan. But if he had forgotten her... then Raphael might still be interested in his old scheme of ruling over a new world.

Siegfried said hesitantly, "Yes. But I should warn you of ever thinking of touching it. That sword is extremely harmful to the malfested. Just look at how badly you're suffering from drinking my blood; which only contains a small amount of Soul Calibur's powers."

Raphael had to admit that the man had a point but he still intended to use that sword to make his wish come true. However, it looks like this will require alittle more planning on his part. Raphael smiled; at least he now knew the location of the sword. He could obtain more information about how Siegfried obtained it later on. Viola peered at him closely, seemingly sensing what he was thinking. Noticing this, Raphael growled, "I told you to stop looking into my soul."

She replied, " If you have nothing to hide, then there's no reason to fear me." When Raphael ignored her and pop a pillow over his head, she turned towards Siegfried. "Does Zwei say when he's going to return?"

Siegfried smiled. "He says it should be soon Viola. Oh, I forgot to mention that he inquired about your health."

"That's it?" asked Viola, alittle disappointed.

"You know Zwei, he's not that great with words," said Siegfried gently. "But he did say that he can't wait to see you again."

Hearing that made her feel slightly happier and she blushed. Until Raphael said, "Not that great with words eh? So I'm assuming your boyfriend is all brawn and no brains?"

With a flick of her wrist, she sent her orb careening towards his stomach. When he gasped from the pain of the impact, she said dryly, " A word of advice, you should think about your words carefully before they come back and bite you." And with that, she left.

Hilde looked at the groaning Frenchman and sighed to herself, "I wonder what Talim sees in this man in the first place." Bidding Raphael farewell, she told him to get some rest before leaving the room with Siegfried and Salia. Glancing over at the letter in Siegfried's hand, she said, " Hmm? Zwei said he couldn't wait to see all of us again, not just Viola."

Siegfried smiled mischievously. "Your point princess?"

Beside Hilde, Salia chuckled. "I never thought you liked playing matchmaker captain."

The next day...

Walking into the dining room for breakfast, Siegfried immediately groaned as he saw Viola and Raphael bicker at each other. Again... Not wanting to deal with it, he shuffled away but then one of his men raised up a cup of ale and said, "Captain! How about a drink?"

Siegfried cursed at his bad luck as everyone in there gave him morning greetings. The men sitting in there either wore armor or sturdy work clothes and weapons laid close by on every circular wooden table.

The Schwarzwind dining room had a nice stone fireplace that was currently dead but during the winter times, it did quite well in keeping them warm. Four large windows let in streams of bright sunlight and he glanced over at the fancy zweihander that was stuck to the wall as decoration. Everyone knew it was fake and if someone grabbed it and used it for practice, the thing would crack within two hits. A bar sat on the far right wall and he could see his young bartender, Miranda hard at work.

Sometimes, he couldn't believe how some of his men could drink at this time in the morning. But as long as they were alert for their jobs, then he was alright with it. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Hilde's most loyal soldiers sitting in the far corner and they seemed to be in deep discussion about something. They were all females and Gerhilde seemed to be leading the conversation. He was about to head over there until he heard Raphael calling for him.

"Siegfried! I demand that you come over here at once!"

Counting to ten, he plastered the brightest and most fake smile possible on his face and strolled over. "Good morning Raphael, Viola. It's nice to see you two sitting together."

"We're not sitting together," was Raphael's and Viola's immediate reply.

The seer drawled, "This is my spot and I've been sitting here for four months. I'm not giving up this seat and that's final."

Raphael retorted, "Listen here woman, I got here first and this table is mine. Go and eat your eggs and bacon somewhere else."

Viola gave him an irritated look. "No. And please move away from me. Your breath reeks of blood."

"Why you-"

Siegfried cut in. "That's enough! Both of you move right now. This is now my table." Plopping himself down into the wooden chair, he called for some ale. "Miranda! Bring me a drink!"

"Okey dokey captain!" hollered the cheerful red head. She brushed her hands on her apron and proceeded to get the drink.

Watching Raphael and Viola shoot looks of disdain at each other as they left, Siegfried pulled at his long blonde hair. "Something must be done about those two before I go crazy... Thanks Miranda." He gulped down the alcohol and smiled as the drink calmed him down.

Putting her dish down on another table, Viola moved her seat as close to the window as possible and looked outside. The view from here was obstructed by a tree branch and she could only see abit of the drawbridge. Curses... how would she be able to see Zwei if he returned today?

Straining her neck, she bit her lips in frustration. Glancing over at Siegfried who digging into his breakfast, she sighed. Ever since Zwei left, she had chosen that spot so that she could be the first one to see when he would return. When she wasn't in here eating, her bedroom window was in a good spot for her to see the drawbridge so she managed to keep her eyes on that damn bridge every waking moment of her day. "The next time he leaves on a mission, I'm coming with him," Viola vowed silently.

When she finished, she headed back to her room to go read. She had only sat down on the lavender sheets when she heard someone knock on her door. Opening it up, she saw Salia and... Raphael. Her usual emotionless face darkened slightly as she said, "What is it?"

The brunette had her hair in a long braid today and she gestured towards Raphael. "Can you show Raphael around the place for me Viola? I have some things I need to take care of for the captain so I'm alittle busy."

"I don't need her help to find my way around," said Raphael, adjusting his hat and giving the seer a look of dislike.

"Ok." And Viola was about to shut the door but then Salia stuck in her foot in the way and blocked it.

Looking at Viola, she said, "I'm afraid this will be an order Viola. You must help Raphael learn the layout of this place.

Viola stared at her for a second before snapping her finger. Her purple orb rushed towards her and she shoved it in Raphael's arms. "If you get lost, just ask my orb to lead you back to your room. Until you learn the layout of this place, you can borrow it. Now good day." And she slammed the door shut.

Raphael looked at the orb in his arms. "Hmmm... where's the bathroom?" He watched as the orb floated out of his arms and flew down a hallway. "Hey! Wait! You stupid piece of junk!"

Salia sighed. "The captain can't say I didn't try."

Sitting beneath an apple tree in Dumas's garden, Talim gazed at the sunset with a vacant expression. The two brown bunnies beside her nuzzled her legs gently and she absentmindedly stroke one of them. Blinking its unusually large eyes at her, one of them hopped on to her lap with a soft plop. Talim smiled and brushed its soft fur. "I'm fine... Don't worry about me."

"I can't help but worry about you dearest."

Hearing his voice, Talim smile quickly faded from her face. "Your concern for me is unnecessary."

Sitting down beside her on the soft grass, he replied, "You know that is not true. After all, you will be my future queen and wife Talim. Of course I'm concerned about your well-being."

Talim turned away from him. "Stop it. I will never marry you Dumas so please, just stop tormenting me. There are people who need me out there and you are being selfish, keeping me here against my will."

A warm wind tousled their hair as they sat there. Reaching over, he tilted her head up and leaned alittle closer towards her. "Love is selfish. I want you to be mine and mine alone. No one, not even the world should hold your attention besides me."

At that, Talim stood up with the small bunny in her arms. "Then we have nothing to say to each other." She had only take two steps when all of a sudden, Dumas got up and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Tell me Talim, what should I do to make you happy?"

Talim slowly turned her head back. "Let me go and save those who are out there."

He frowned at her. "This is your new home Talim. Here, I can watch over and protect you. I don't want to see anything else happen to you."

Her eyes dimmed with sorrow. "I owe this world Dumas. All the people I have saved, is never enough to cleanse my past failures. If you are truly Raphael, then you would understand how I feel and what truly makes me happy." She pulled away and began heading towards the castle.

With a sigh, Dumas stood back up and looked at the orange skies streaked with tinges of pink and red. Talim was probably the only person who was unafraid of telling him what she truly thought of him. Her eyes were like the clearest mirrors, showing him nothing but the truth. He hated her for that but at the same time, he treasured it. Whereas Amy would support him no matter what, Talim had to think about the sake of others as well. She loved him, that was true; he knew she would sacrifice her very own life to save him if it was ever needed but he knew that her compassion for the world was just as important.

"Wait!"

Hearing his call, she stopped and her long blue half skirt moved back and forth from the wind. Talim watched as he moved in front of her. "Yes?"

Dumas gazed into her eyes and said, " You are only happy when others around you are as well. You only smile when others are content and you will only love me if I show others the same love I show you."

Talim was slightly surprised by his words but then she lowered her eyes. " But you can't do that, can you?"

Dumas replied, "Why I should care for the world? If you give me a satisfactory answer, I'll immediately lower the taxes for the people of Hungary."

Talim smiled briefly as she brushed away a lock of hair. "One, because you are a king. Two, if you love someone, then you would do anything to make them happy, wouldn't you?"

His voice caught in his throat. She had laid down something so simple but so efficient that he was at a loss for words. It was truth. If he truly love her, then he would have to love the world as well.

"I knew it." Talim tilted her head and looked up at him with wise eyes. "You don't love me Dumas; you only love yourself. You think you're right and you are angry when others go against your ideals. That is not love, that is selfishness."

Dumas growled, "What... did you say?"

She looked back at him and her will did not waver. "Have you ever looked at the suffering of others instead of your own? Both sides are wrong Dumas. Both the malfested and the humans have hurt each other. You cannot put the blame on one or the other." Talim swiftly turned away from him and gestured to the skies. "I do not care of one is malfested or humans. I side only with those who are innocent and good. That, is how I view people. Not because of who they are or how they were born, but the kind of person they are. And you... are the kind of person that I fear."

His mid raced with what she was saying. He was truly losing her if she just said that she feared him. Dumas said in a strained voice, "What can I do to change your opinion, Talim?" She sighed tiredly and placed the bunny into his arms, and he reluctantly trailed after her.

As they walked through the luscious garden full of trees, flowers, green grass and hedges, she said softly, "Love and treasure this world." Breathing in the fresh air, Talim closed her eyes. "This world is beautiful Dumas. All the creatures that live here are unique. The oceans, mountains, forests, and skies don't belong to anyone. Humans, malfested, and animals must learn to accept each other and share. I know it is difficult but that... is my ideal world." Softly, she singed, "Can you hear the voice of the wind that carries the sounds of all that lives in this world?" A strong gust of warm wind swept past them as she raised her hands up into the air and her long green hair danced in the breeze while the moon shaped bells on her hat chimed.

Dumas looked up as a multitude of birds flew by and chirped to each other. He jumped slightly when three bunnies hopped past him and the one in his arms wiggled itself free to join them; so carefree and so content... The rays from the setting sun made him direct his eyes over to it and as he stood there with Talim beside him, for first time, he truly appreciated nature in all of its glory.

Talim smiled as she felt the air rushing past her. "Can you see the joy of simply being alive? Can you see the souls and and life of every tree, plant and creature that lives in this world? Now... listen to the song that you've never heard! Let go and listen... to the voice of the wind!"

Flower petals swept by him in a shower of colors as the wind carried them and the sunlight stretched out through the sky, lighting it up in a mixture of radiant red, warm orange and pale gold. All of a sudden, he heard the most beautiful music... coming from the powerful and warm wind caressing him. Roars of magnificent waterfalls, arias of rushing rivers and streams, howls of wolves, songs of the birds of the skies, church bells, the laughter of children and all the different languages of this world. The exotic accents and words seemed to melt together into one song, carried by the wind as it raced throughout this world.

His red eyes widened as he realized this was how Talim had always heard the wind and the sheer beauty of its song stunned him silent. For a second, a dark thought flashed through his mind. Was she using her wind magic to trick him? But when he saw her peaceful and innocent expression, he dismissed the thought immediately. With a wide smile, she opened her mouth and began to sing, letting her voice soar upwards with the wind and flying flower petals. Her voice was powerful and loud, it reached the very core of his being and he listened in awe.

"For once, just let go and walk side by side with those around you," she sang as she grabbed his hand and pulled him. She let go and he ran after her, a bright smile on his face as the wind tugged at their hair and clothing. He could feel and hear life all around him, running with him. She twirled to a stop and sang, "Love and understanding is what carries this wind to you, can you continue the chain and do the same?" She stroked the air with her hand and the air was filled with the scent of flowers and he could feel a fine mist of water falling upon his skin.

Talim laughed in delight at the light shower of misty rain coming down on them. Lifting her head, she breathed in deeply. "I read the wind through every sense. The sights, the smells, the sounds and even the touches..." She looked over at him and he could feel the wind carressing his face and skin with the touch of a lover. It was so warm and so soothing, he opened his arm and looked up to the sky. Soon enough, a flow of leaves and petals danced past him and an expression of wonderment crossed his face.

As the wind died down, she said softly, "Can you feel the life that flows past you Dumas? The beauty of what it means to be alive? No one has the right to snuff out anyone's life. We are all entitled to life and happiness. With murder and bloodshed, you will never be able to hear this." Facing him, she placed a hand on her heart. "Hate will only destroy all of us and this beautiful world we live in. But love... love will bring all of us closer and heal the scars of her past." Her face seem to glow with inner peace as she blinked her large brown eyes at him. "If you claim that you love me, then you will stop hurting others and the world. When I die and become part of the wind, I wish to see a world of peace, not a world of death and hate."

He stood there and looked at the kind and beautiful priestess before him while the sun set behind her. The love she had for this world and the people in it, was like that of a mother for a child. Like the wind, she traveled and spread words of wisdom and compassion. It was thanks to her, that he had somewhat healed, and learned to love a woman. The least he could do was make her happy. He gave her a small smile. "For your sake, I will lower the taxes for the people of Hungary this very month."

Talim's heart was glad to hear that. There were many poor people who would have less of a burden on their shoulders if Dumas kept his promise. For now, it was a small step in helping Hungary move towards a brighter future. And perhaps... help Dumas become a better king. "Thank you," replied Talim. As she turned to head back inside, she said softly, "As the king of Hungary, I hope you'll care for the people alittle more. Their lives have been quite hard ever since you've taken over."

He watched her walk away and pursed his lips in slight annoyance. "Soul Edge needs souls Talim. And I need Soul Edge... but..." He sighed tiredly. "I need you as well."