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 Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 5:11 pm
Everything unfurled; the symptoms of fear evaporated entirely as he pressed her to his chest. She did not envelope his waist with her arms, as they begged her to do, but leaned into him slightly, feeling small and safe and, for a brief moment, hopeful. His acceptance of her apology was better than she had anticipated and the relief was immense. It reminded her of when she had run away to the music room, overflowing with raw emotion that refused to leave her despite her attempts at expressing them. That was, until he came along and dissolved everything with a simple reassuring gesture, such as he was doing now. I wonder if he knows.
Pierre held her for a while longer before pulling away, his hands gripping her arms gently. He stooped to look into her eyes directly. "I'm the one who's sorry. It's been so long since I was human that I've forgotten what it's like. I didn't think about how you'd feel; all this just seemed to natural and logical to me... Can you forgive me?"
The sight of her mother, bloody and bruised, slumping against the wall and letting go of the wakening world, flashed across her mind's eye. Then, she thought of her own near death experience and that of James. James's confession also flitted through her mind, followed by all the things they had said. If she had to be honest with herself, none of that hurt quite as much as their separation, but this she could not voice to him, or to anyone. Gazing gently into his eyes, she smiled a smile that was almost grateful. Therein lied his answer. If only this moment would never cease; if we could seclude ourselves from the rest of the world, in a bubble where time itself was irrelevant, how perfect and simple life would be. She closed her eyes and rested her left temple on his chest. "What shall we do now?"
"I guess... we go forward," he said uncertainly. "I won't let James die," he said quietly. "Would you like to ride," he asked gesturing to his horse. The manacles around his wrists tightened, pulling his wrists back together tightly. "Prince," came the distant call, "Front and center." Pierre grimaced.
The summons were unexpected, breaking into her reality. She watched him, trying to send him some comfort through her eyes and the touch of her hand upon his right forearm. "Let's go," she said, softly, and mounted the beast. She sat upright and glanced back at the black horse for a fleeting moment. "See you later, Sir Kick-a-lot," she whispered with a faint amused smile. Joining the little army was nerve-wrecking, but she held on to her pride by maintaining posture and not meeting the gaze of anyone but Pierre's and Sir William's.
James felt a jumble of emotions - fear, confusion, curiosity... "The sorceress," he asked, breaking the silence, "Why does she want to see me?"
"All will be clear soon enough." James didn't find the answer satisfying.
"Who are you?" "Tulvir, Keeper of the Knowledge," he replied, adjusting his glasses. He pointed forward, "There it is." James stared, dumbstruck. "Only a couple more hours now. Go on," Tulvir nudged, "There's someone I must speak with."
He turned back, mixing into the ranks. James took a deep breath and descended with the steep road that plunged into the clouds.
* * *
Tulvir fell in step with Pierre. "Pardon, sir. I believe Sir William would like your company for a moment." Pierre glanced up at Jaime, reluctant to leave. "I won't be gone long," he told her quietly, passing the reigns to Tulvir, who bowed his thanks. Once alone, he placed a gentle hand on the horse as he led it along. "So, you're the famous Jaime?"
Jaime responded with a little nod. Her smile was reassuring and she watched him leave for only a moment before turning to her new companion. "I hope its a good reputation," she said light-heartedly. "To whom do I owe the pleasure?"
"Tulvir, Keeper of the Knowledge. And I must say... I've been rather eager to make your acquaintance for some years."
"It's an honour to meet you, Tulvir." His last statement made her frown, faintly, with curiosity before making a bold assumption. "Oh, do you know my mother, then?"
“I know her very well," he replied quietly.
She was silent for a while, contemplating on how to tell him what came inevitably next. "I'm very sorry to be the harbinger of bad news, although I'm sure you already know," she trailed off. "I'm sorry for your loss."
He nodded. "I confess, I've known about it for quite some time, but nevertheless... it is sad news, indeed. And how are you holding up, my dear," he asked, his deep voice coloured with concern.
She glanced at him in surprise, but her expression soon melted into a smile. "I'm closer to her now than I would ever have had the liberty to have been. It is the Prince and our friend, James, that I'm worried about."
"James River. Yes... he is one to worry about," he replied, his brow furrowing. They had reached the ridge, and now the slope down was steep. [pic]
"Exquisitely delightful," Jaime gasped and soaked her eyes with the sheer breathtaking beauty of the landscape ahead of them. "And well worth the climb."
The sun began to break over the horizon, poking through the clouds. "Don't fret," he told Jaime soothingly. "The portal isn't far. Below the clouds, there is shelter. The Prince and James will be safe from the light."
[[Worked out with Genrin619 through Facebook messenger.]] 
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Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 5:15 pm
She smiled, thankful for the reassurance. "My family?" She pondered on the notion for a while. "Well, I can't say I had any, but my biological father was a witch and my mother a witch-huntress. From there, matters escalated into something that reminds me of Romeo and Juliet - if you have ever had the chance to read Earthen literature."
"Extended family?" she asked, tilting her head to one side.
"Your parents' relatives. Do you know anything of them?"
"Well, I do know that my mother's cult tried to kill me when I was but a babe, and that they tossed her through a portal, believing it was a gateway to some kind of hell, but I'm afraid that is as far as my knowledge about them goes."
He nodded, seeming to understand. Pierre rejoined them looking rather anxious. "He has a hold over your heart. This is a dangerous thing." Pierre looked at Tulvir, slightly confused. "Sir William said something about a portal. How much farther is it," he asked Tulvir.
Tulvir ignored this remark and continued speaking to her. "You must come see me once we reach the city. Promise me?"
Pierre frowned. "Excuse me? I don't understand..."
"Promise," Tulvir repeated to Jaime.
"You have my word, sir," she said calmly, filing his odd comment over the position of her heart for later investigation, and turned to the Prince. "It's close enough not to be caught by the sun." Before she forgot, she asked Tulvir about the whereabouts of their meet.
"You're feet will find me," he replied with a kind smile, "Just follow them." With that, he departed.
Pierre looked up at Jaime. "I wasn't aware you knew any other languages," he seemed confused and a little upset at this. He shrugged and took the reigns once more.
"Other languages?" she inquired, confused. "It's English, isn't it?"
He looked confused. "No..."
"I wasn't aware of it. That's interesting," she looked after the draconian and then returned to Pierre with a smile that reached into her eyes. "Would you like to ride with me?"
Pierre felt his heart stick in his throat. He wanted nothing more than to ride with her, to be next to her, galloping through the cloud-strewn road, forgetting their troubles for as long as they could. His manacles tightened in response to his longing. He held up his wrists. "I don't think I'd be able to stay seated," he replied, attempting a smile, "Can't hang on."
"You can put your hands over my head and hold onto the reigns - wouldn't that work?" she suggested, gently.
He cleared his throat nervously. "Alright," he agreed slowly. He halted the horse and climbed up gracefully in one fluid movement. Almost hesitantly, he slipped his arms over her and let them rest about her waist, gripping the reigns. He gave them a tug and clicked his tongue; the horse started off again at a leisurely pace.
Jaime smiled, satisfied and happy in the bubble his arms created around her. "If this is the scenic route, what do you think the city will look like?" she asked dreamily.
He shrugged, the movement pushing him closer to her. "Large," he replied simply in jest.
She laughed at his remark. "That's very creative of you," she teased. "I think it will be just as light and radiant as this sunrise, despite its passing and without the dangers it holds for you."
"If only it held no dangers at all," he sighed. "If... if something happens to me... Will you look after James?"
"Nothing's going to happen to you, Pierre," she said with some bittersweet gravity in the tone of her whisper. "But, yes, I will do my best if he will let me."
"Thank you. I'm sorry to have to request that of you, but my guilt..." He trailed off choking up. "He doesn't know, but he will. Please. For me. If he kills me when he regains his memories, don't think badly of him? It's well-deserved."
She sighed. She had attempted to suppress it, but it had slipped out by accident. "I wish I had the power to protect both of you," she started. "And I will miss you gravely. Be sure to put up a good fight then: maybe you will tire yourselves and laugh about the matter later. Friends do that, I believe."
He nodded. "Friends do. But I'm not entirely sure we'll be friends once he reaches her." He lapsed into fearful silence.
"I'm not sure what it means to you in this world, but when you commit to friendship, everything else becomes a little less relevant. Perhaps he will forgive you and fight her. Perhaps he will kill us all and then there would be nothing to worry about further. More importantly, though, what will happen if we defeat her, free Rhodessa of her barrenness and release Ravenheart of her closed-minded beliefs? Imagine the revolution, Pierre. Imagine how happy everyone would be if this played out well. Perhaps James could even have his own section of land to govern." She leaned into him, lending him her warmth. "Everything will happen as it should be. It always does."
"Defeating her is not the way," he replied. "She is the one who's agreed to help us. We're at her mercy." He felt a swell of gratitude for the sorceress, which helped stave off most of the fear he felt. Cautiously, he pulled Jaime closer and rested his chin on top of her head.
"Well, then, if her intentions are noble, since our cause is noble, she will help prevent the fight from happening, I should think - what is a Kingdom without a just King?" She closed her eyes and placed her hands over his, interlacing their fingers and savouring what might be their last moments together.
[[Worked out with Genrin619 through Facebook messenger.]]
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Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 5:19 pm
"Perhaps, but it would not have you." She caught herself on the verge of tears and swallowed.
"No," he agreed, "But it would finally have the rightful heir to the throne." He pulled away from her, feeling ashamed.
"Heir or no heir," she started as though she already knew, "the world would certainly benefit by hosting you here, alive." She looked over her shoulder without straining her neck, to him, and shut her eyes once more so he would not see the tears welling inside them. "If you were half as bad as you think you are," she whispered, "how come you are here now, entering what might be our last, risking everything you've ever had and held dear to save and revive two cities that will not even be yours afterwards? Don't be so hard on yourself. The past is in the past and the future, in the future. What exists now is only the present: the essence of our circumstances are reduced to sensations, beliefs and gratitude, if you'll allow it... Don't pull away." The last sentence was barely a whisper. She returned her head and looked down at her hands holding his. They were close and yet so far for more than just a singular reason, most of which remained unknown to her. Yet, she found herself believing that none of that mattered presently and that she could be grateful even for what is temporary.
Her words emboldened him and he fully wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tight to him and kissing the top of her head, once more resting his head upon hers. "What did a monster like me do to deserve an angel like you?" He stroked the top of her hand with his thumb, pressing his other fingers into her palm gently, knowing that the pressure would bring small stress relief. He could feel her breathing as she rested against his chest and sighed, content.
"We all have our flaws, my love," she returned, smiling, immensely thankful, and feeling warm with emotion.
[[Worked out with Genrin619 through Facebook messenger.]]
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