Heart of Silver, Soul of Glass by Stormlight Chapter Seven Okay. Before you read anything, I have something to say. Actually, if you don’t want to read it, that’s fine by me. Just scroll down to the story. ^^ Well, anyway, due to a recent, public flame that a very immature person sent to me over a mailing list for a completely insipid reason, I think it is only fair to warn all you Tamahome/Miaka romantics out there that there will be no romance involving the two of them in this fic, whatsoever. So, if you’re too close-minded to even contemplate the possibility of Miaka being involved with anyone other than Tama, might I suggest you hit the back button and go find something else to read, because I will not change the story around to suit someone’s asinine ideas of who goes with who, no matter how many threats I receive from said person. Yes, this little twit actually had the gall to threaten me, and she also basically implied that I was lower than a plagiarist...okay, she didn’t imply it. She came right out and said it, which I find HIGHLY offensive, thank-you- very-much! I had no idea that being original was such a capital offense for some people! Bring out the executioner already! >.< She also insisted that, by pairing Miaka with this other character, I was stating that Yuu Watase was wrong in pairing Tamahome with her, and that I believe Watase-san has poor judgment when it comes to romantic triangles. Last of all, she decided that I no longer had the right to write fanfics, and that I’d better "Right what I’ve done" or else. Or else what, is what I’d like to know! >.< I do not take kindly to being threatened, minna. Normally, I’m a very patient person, and it takes a lot to get me riled. Constructive criticism for my stories is one thing, but when some little teenage-angst- driven-holier-than-thou-wanna-be-author decides that she’s the Guru of all Fanfic and that her ideas of what should be written are the be-all and end- all of fanfic...I will not sit back and take it! Especially since she obviously had no idea what she was talking about in the first place. She has obviously never heard of an alternate reality before, even though I stated from the VERY BEGINNING of this fic that AU is exactly what it is! In her defense...she did write a public apology letter. Actually, it wasn’t an apology so much as BOY-am-I-ever-sorry-I-opened-my-big-mouth-in-public! letter, but you get the idea. Apparently, my fellow list members (Boy, I love you guys so much! ^_~) flamed her so bad she cracked under the pressure, and finally left the list on her own. She said it was because she thought she’d probably get kicked off for breaking the rules and publicly flaming someone (a big no-no on any ML), and that she’d rather leave with her head held high and her dignity intact. Personally, I think she just took the coward’s way out and ran with her tail tucked like a frightened puppy, because there is no way she had any dignity to begin with to send a rant like that! I can’t say I’m sorry she left the list, but nobody likes to be the cause of someone leaving, even unknowingly. And here I was, just trying to write a good story. Anyway...onto the REAL reason you’re here! And please remember that nobody is forcing you to like this fic. In fact nobody is forcing you to read it, either, so any flames directed at me can just as easily be directed back to you. You have a free will to walk away from the story, so I refuse to be blamed for anyone not choosing to use it. And if you actually read all that, I admire your stamina tremendously. Thanks for letting me rant. ^_~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chapter Seven Miaka sighed listlessly as she wandered aimlessly along the stone path leading to the castle gardens. It was high noon, all her chores were done until the evening meal, and she was left with little to do. Rei had disappeared, probably off socializing with King Ayurhu (whom Miaka had yet to catch a glimpse of), and of course Endymion had spirited Serena off to some mysterious destination at a most unholy hour of the morning, and who knew when they’d be back. She considered seeking out Luna or Mitsukake, until she remembered that both healers had gone to a nearby village to help put a stop to an outbreak of illness among the children. Seeking out Tamahome was out of the question; she’d been avoiding him lately. Ever since his proposal, he’d become more insistent about getting her answer, and she really had no idea what to say to him. She hated to see the pain in his eyes when she pleaded for just awhile longer to think it over, but she could bring herself to neither accept nor refuse him. If only she dared to seek out Hotohori and ask his advice, but of course that was impossible. He was half the reason she was so hesitant in the first place! In truth, she’d been avoiding the prince lately, as well, for it was becoming more difficult to be near him while maintaining the air of friendship, when her thoughts and feelings went so much deeper than that. But she dared not risk his discovery of her feelings, or he might end their friendship completely, and that would surely kill her as dead as any sword thrust through her heart. Miaka sighed again as she passed beneath the vine-covered trellis that stood at the entrance of the gardens, and who should she see upon entering but the prince himself, languidly perched upon the railing of a nearby gazebo while he watched the swooping aerobatics of a pair of swallows. She froze in her tracks, tempted to turn and quickly walk the other way, but before she could take a single step, his golden-brown eyes rose to meet her own green gaze, and a delighted smile lit his face. "Miaka!" he called by way of greeting. "Come and join me!" Of course there was no way she could ever refuse any request Hotohori asked of her, especially when he looked at her in such a way. She smiled back at him, glad to be with him in spite of her previous thoughts, and quickly made her way to the gazebo. "It’s a lovely day, isn’t it?" she greeted him as she stepped inside the shaded building. "Yes, beautiful," he agreed amiably. "Would you care to join me for a walk? I’m curious to see if the roses are still in bloom," he added, holding out his hand to her in invitation. She smiled shyly and accepted it, holding back a blush and a shiver when long, slender fingers closed warmly over her own small hand. "I haven’t seen you lately," the prince said softly as they strolled through the well-tended gardens. "Have you been terribly busy?" "I...I guess I have been," she replied, somewhat awkwardly. She couldn’t very well admit that she’d been avoiding him. He’d doubtless wonder why; might even feel a bit hurt at her cold attitude, and the last thing she wanted to do was to hurt him. "The work has been harder lately...with the extra mouths to feed and all," she explained, all at once grateful to the visiting king who was taking so much of Rei’s time. "You do realize that you needn’t to do all that work," Hotohori told her, squeezing her hand gently. "You and Serena are not so much servants as companions to my sister. To myself and my brother, as well. You are practically members of the family, you know." She blushed and ducked her head shyly. "I’m no princess," she said with a nervous giggle. "Perhaps not in blood," he replied, and his voice held an odd, wistful note in it that she could not begin to understand. They walked on in silence for a few minutes, the prince appearing to be deep in thought. Then, glancing down at his companion, he asked in a carefully neutral voice, "Have...you given Tamahome an answer yet?" She jumped, looking up at him through wide, startled eyes. "H-how did you know about that?" she squeaked, blushing furiously. "Endymion told me several days ago," he replied quietly. "Apparently, Tamahome is becoming rather concerned about your silence in this matter." He saw her wince, and paused with her beside a small stream that ran through the middle of the garden. A large frog croaked and leapt into the water with a splash. "Why didn’t you tell me he proposed to you?" he asked, trying to keep the hurt out of his voice. She had always confided in him. Why choose now to withdraw, especially about something so...important? "I didn’t tell anyone," Miaka replied softly, looking at the ground. "Not even my sister, at first. I just...felt like it was something I needed to deal with by myself." "Why haven’t you given him an answer?" he asked, nudging her chin up to meet her eyes. She looked at him helplessly, remaining silent, and he sighed and fixed her with a sad, gentle smile. "You’re considering it, though? Accepting his proposal?" She looked down again. "I’ve been thinking of it," she admitted. Then, deciding it was high time to change the subject, she looked up and forced a smile. "Hadn’t we better be getting on? Those roses won’t last forever in this heat." He blinked at her, wanting to question her further, but realized that she would not say more on the subject. "Very well," he replied, sighing softly. "Let’s go on then." She turned to step across the stream, using a line of small, flat rocks as a bridge to cross to the other side. Halfway across, however, a flash of scarlet caught her eye, and she raised her eyes toward a tree branch that hung low over the water. Entwined around the leaves of the branch was a bright satin ribbon, fluttering in the cool breeze stirred by the rushing water. "How odd!" she exclaimed, pausing on a precariously loose stone. "I wonder how that got there. It looks like one of my hair ribbons. Hmmm...come to think of it, I was missing one the other day when I looked for it. Serena must’ve borrowed it and lost it." She sighed and shook her head in mock disgust. "She’s always doing things like that, silly girl. I’d love to know how it got caught in a tree though!" Hotohori, pausing a few steps behind her, looked up at the ribbon hanging just over their heads, almost close enough to touch. "One moment," he stated, reaching up to catch hold of a fluttering end. Grasping it, he gave a slight pull, hoping to free it. It didn’t budge. Frowning, he tugged a little harder, succeeding only in bending the branch closer to him. "Oh, you don’t have to worry about getting it back, Hotohori," Miaka hastened to assure him. "Ribbons are easy enough to replace, and I’ve got plenty more..." "It isn’t a problem," he assured her with a smile as he managed to catch the end of the branch, pulling it down far enough to untangle the end of the ribbon. "There," he stated proudly. "That was simple enough to..." He spoke too soon. The ribbon came loose suddenly, falling gracefully toward the water, and as he reached to catch it, he lost his footing on the damp, slippery stone and abruptly found himself falling headfirst into the stream. He hit the water with a shout of surprise, the loud splash drowning out Miaka’s cry of dismay. The next thing he knew, he found himself on his rump, sitting in the middle of the stream. He blinked in surprise, feeling the cold water dripping down his hair into his face, soaking him even more thoroughly than he already was. In his hand he clutched the scarlet ribbon. Miaka, for her part, was still on her stone, her mouth hanging open in surprise as she stared down at the prince through wide eyes. Shock was quickly giving way to amusement, however, at the expression on Hotohori’s face, and she was hard-pressed to keep from breaking into hysterical giggles right then and there, not wanting to offend his pride. "A-are you okay?" she managed to choke, struggling to hold in her laughter. He looked up at her, rather miffed at the merriment he saw dancing in her eyes that no amount of self-control could hide. "I’m perfectly fine," he sniffed. "I’m just a little...wet at the moment, that’s all." A giggle escaped her, and she clapped her hand over her mouth so that no more would follow, but he could see it was a struggle for her. His gaze softened as he regarded her, and he held up the ribbon, which was just as soaked as he was from being submerged in the water. "I got your ribbon," he added mischievously, a grin twitching at his lips as he rose to his feet, water sloughing off of him in rivulets and streams. "Thank you," she replied, her voice muffled behind her hand. Her eyes crinkled slightly as she smiled at him. "You’re so sweet to me. Do you need a helping hand now?" She stepped to the far bank, then leaned over and held out her hand, intending to help him out of the water. He reached out and gripped it, and when she saw the sudden flash of devilment in his eyes, it was already far too late to draw back. She landed in the water with a shriek, only barely managing to stay on her feet. Not that it did much good, since her skirts immediately soaked up the water like a sponge, tangling around her legs and nearly tripping her as she struggled to get away. "You...you..." she sputtered. "I cannot believe you just did that! Hotohori!" She regarded him with a mixture of amusement and outrage, noting that he was not attempting to hold in his hilarity. His laughter rang out, deep and musical. It was a rare thing to hear him laugh, since he was always so serious, but she’d always enjoyed his laughter. It seemed his entire soul participated in the event. "I never knew you could be such a brute!" she exclaimed, half-laughing herself as she swept a handful of water at him. "Endymion certainly has been an influence on you!" "Why, Miaka," he teased, his dark eyes glowing with merriment. "Do you mean to tell me that all this time we’ve known each other, and you never once suspected me to be a prankster? I’m hurt!" "Not as hurt as you’re going to be, you beast!" she laughed, brandishing her fist at him. "Serena has quite the left hook, and she’s taught me how to use it! Prepare to defend yourself!" "Tsk! Miaka! I never realized you were so violent," the prince scolded teasingly, easily catching her wrists with his hands to hold her away from him. He was still laughing heartily, and having a wonderful time. He could not recall the last time he’d simply let go of his inhibitions like this and played like a small boy again. It was...fun! Miaka tried to trip him by hooking her leg behind his own, but he easily sidestepped and dragged them both over to the bank of the stream, laughing at her protests. "This is hardly fair!" she complained laughingly. "You’re bigger and stronger than I am!" "That’s right!" he agreed, grinning as he forced her down into the grass beside the stream, ignoring her struggles and protests. "I’m bigger and stronger than you are! What are you going to do about it?" "You bully!" she pouted, and stuck her tongue out at him playfully. And in that instant, everything changed. The laughter slowly faded from his expression as his dark gaze honed in on that small movement, and he seemed to realize then how close they had gotten, their faces only inches apart. Miaka felt her heart begin to pound wildly as the prince fixed her with a searching gaze, his lidded eyes darkening with gentle emotion. Her own emotions were barely held in check, and she could only pray that he wasn’t able to read them in her eyes. But...he’d always been able to read her so well. How could he not see the love that she felt for him? She shivered when one hand released her wrist to trail lightly down her arm to her shoulder and neck, before coming up to caress her face gently, pushing a lock of chestnut hair away from her eyes. His own long, silvery locks fell all about them like a silken veil, hiding the rest of the world so that it seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them. "Miaka," he breathed softly, his hand lingering gently on her cheek. "Miaka, please. Don’t marry Tamahome." She blinked, and her heart slammed into her throat. "Wh-what?" she squeaked, hardly able to believe her own ears. "Don’t marry Tamahome," he pleaded softly. "You don’t love him, do you?" She swallowed. "I…I don’t see what that has to do with anything," she stammered, her cheeks flaming with embarrassment. "Whether or not I love... "You cannot marry him, Miaka," Hotohori interrupted, his voice low and his gaze intense on her. "You can’t bind yourself to someone you only have vague feelings for. You’ll be miserable." She looked away, feeling the sting of tears behind her eyes. "Maybe not," she whispered. "Who’s to say? Really, I have no reason to refuse... "Yes, you do," he insisted, and now he shifted so that both his arms were holding her in a loose embrace, leaning over her as his warm breath fanned her cheek. "You have a very good reason to refuse his proposal," he whispered, his face coming even nearer. By now she was certain he could hear her heart thudding madly in her chest, and she fought very hard to reign in her emotions. She closed her eyes and swallowed, attempting to think through the fog that was slowly covering her mind. "And...the reason is that?" she whispered. It was then that she felt a soft, warm touch against her mouth, and her eyes flew open in surprise, only to flutter shut again in exhilaration as she realized that the warmth was of his lips pressed to her own ever-so-lightly. "Because I love you," he murmured tenderly against them, before finally throwing all inhibition to the wind and capturing her sweet lips in a long and glorious kiss. She was lost the moment he touched her, melting into his warmth, drinking in the gentle passion he poured into her mouth as though her very soul depended on it. Oh, such feelings his kiss invoked! This was not her first kiss, by any means; she had shared several with Tamahome in the past, and she had greatly enjoyed them. But nothing could have prepared her for the exquisite pleasure of Hotohori’s lips caressing her, his strong arms engulfing her. It was as though she’d been standing in shadows all her life, and had only just now discovered the full warmth of the sun radiating over her. By the time the kiss ended, she was trembling and breathless, and she could feel that he was similarly effected. She opened heavy-lidded eyes to meet a starry, golden- brown gaze as he whispered her name through tempting lips. "Hotohori...I..." she began breathlessly, ready to confess her undying love for him right then and there, but the sudden crack of a snapping twig...echoing loudly over the musical rippling of the stream in the otherwise silent gardens...startled both of them into leaping away from each other as though each carried the plague, both of them blushing fiercely. Miaka looked toward the source of the intrusion, and the blood abruptly fled her face when she met the horrified gaze of Tamahome, who stood clutching a tree branch in his shaking hands, freshly broken from the trunk of a young sapling. "T-Tamahome!" she gasped, sitting up straight and attempting to put herself in some semblance of order. She could only imagine how she looked...soaked skirts, rumpled hair, flushed cheeks and swollen lips... What must he think of her? Without a word, Tamahome turned and walked quickly and angrily away, hurling the branch to the ground. "W-wait!" Miaka pleaded, tears springing to her eyes. He ignored her and continued walking. She looked down at a stricken Hotohori. "I...I have to..." she began, but he cut her off with a gentle shake of his head, his hand coming up to caress her face softly. "I understand," he murmured. "There is unfinished business between the two of you." He bowed his head, looking ashamed. "Please, Miaka. Forgive me for getting carried away like that," he added quietly. "I should never have..." Now it was her turn to stop him. "There’s nothing to forgive," she whispered, gazing into his eyes for a long, tender moment. Smiling at him softly, she touched his face gently, then turned and gathered her soaking skirts in her hand to hurry after her would-be fiancee. ~~~{~@ ~~~{~@ ~~~{~@ "Tamahome!" Miaka gasped as she raced to catch up with the fleeing man. "Tamahome, will you wait?! I can’t run right in these soaked clothes! Won’t you at least let me explain?" He came to a dead halt, so quickly that she almost ran into him. "Explain?" he repeated bitterly, whirling to face her with blazing eyes. "Oh, I don’t think you need to explain anything to me, Mistress Blackthorn! I understand the situation all too clearly now!" he yelled, making her wince and stumble back a few steps. "All the hesitation," he continued in a softer tone. "Why didn’t you just tell me..." "Because I didn’t know! I didn’t realize that he loved me!" she replied with tearing eyes. "But you knew that you loved him, didn’t you?" he questioned darkly. "So why couldn’t you have told me that, instead of leaving me to wonder? Or were you simply playing with my feelings?" "No! Of course not!" she protested. "How could you even think I’d be that malicious? I just...I didn’t want to hurt you." Raising a trembling hand, she brushed a tear from her cheek. "I really do care for you, Tamahome, despite what you think of me now." "Just not enough to marry me," he retorted. "I was thinking about accepting," she confessed softly. "Why? It’s very clear that you don’t love me!" he snapped. She sighed. "I thought I could grow to love you the way you deserve," she whispered. "You are a kind and faithful man, and a very dear friend to me..." She ignored his cynical grunt. "Besides, Hotohori is the prince! I’m just a servant. That means any romantic involvement with him is forbidden. He has a higher destiny in store for him." Tamahome snorted. "That didn’t seem to worry you much at the stream," he bit out. She flushed, but raised her head proudly. "For your information, he attacked me! I would never behave like that, especially with unresolved business between us!" "Oh, so that’s what I am to you now? Unresolved business?" She winced. "That’s not what I meant!" "Why didn’t you push him away?" he questioned angrily. "Forgive me, but it looked rather like you were enjoying yourself back there! You certainly weren’t putting up much of a fight!" She bowed her head again, unable to meet his eyes, although a bright flush stained her cheeks. "I love Hotohori," she replied, so softly that he could barely make out the words. "I’ve always loved him, even though I know it’s ridiculous to do so. I was afraid if I told you, you’d think me a fool, and you’d be right. I can never have the prince for my own...but that doesn’t change how I feel about him." She looked up at his blurring form through the tears that clung to her lashes. "Won’t you change your mind?" he whispered, gazing down at her with heartbreak in his eyes. "Isn’t there anything I can do to...?" She shook her head, helplessly. "It isn’t a matter of changing my mind. It’s a matter of the heart, and I can’t change my heart, no matter how much I want to. Honestly...I don’t want to, no matter how much it hurts. He loves me, and even if we can never be together...it’s enough. It has to be enough!" She took a shaky breath, closed her eyes, and choked out, "I...I can’t marry you, Tamahome. It just wouldn’t be right...for any of us. Please, forgive me for not telling you sooner how I really felt. Please forgive me for hurting you." Tamahome sighed and ran a shaking hand through his dark hair, looking away from her. He stood there for long, silent moments, and when he finally met her gaze, his expression was one of sorrowful acceptance. Reaching out, he drew her into his embrace and buried his face against her neck, pressing a soft kiss to her throat as he ran his hands in her thick hair. "I understand," he whispered softly, gazing deeply into her eyes. "I won’t ask you to deny your own feelings, no matter how impossible they are. I only wish I could help you ease the pain. I wish..." He paused, then shook his head sadly. "But I love you, and I’ll still be here, when your prince marries his princess and goes away to live happily ever after. I’ll still be here. Please remember me." And with those words, he lowered his head to catch her lips in a gentle kiss. Afterward, Miaka watched his tall form walk slowly away as his final words echoed in her mind like a funeral dirge, making her wonder in a moment of panic if she hadn’t made the biggest mistake of her life to refuse him. Then, a pair of strong, warm arms were surrounding her, like sunlight in the midst of harsh winter, and the touch of velvet lips against her tear-streaked face quickly put an end to her apprehension as Hotohori turned her in his arms to gaze worriedly into her eyes. "What happened?" he whispered. "Are you all right?" She nodded and closed her eyes, sighing softly. "I...refused his proposal," she whispered, hearing his quick intake of breath. "I couldn’t go on pretending...and I’ve known the answer all along, really. I just..." Hotohori said nothing, merely tightened his arms around her. "Do you regret denying him?" he asked after a time, gazing to some distant point above her head as one hand to stroked softly over her back. "No," she murmured, closing her eyes. "Why?" he whispered, meeting her gaze hopefully. She sighed and moved closer, wrapping her arms around his trim waist, letting her eyes flutter shut when she felt his soft mouth brush her forehead, her cheek...her lips. "Because I love you," she replied breathlessly, smiling up at him. His eyes grew bright with pleasure upon hearing those words, and he murmured her name softly as his face again lowered to her own. And there was no more talking after that. ~~~{~@ ~~~{~@ ~~~{~@ Serena jumped back with a squeak, nearly knocking Endymion over in the process, as yet another rat scuttled past her feet. She had always prided herself on being rather brave when it came to things like rodents and snakes, and even spiders, but she had never seen rats this big before, and there were far too many around for her liking. Should even one mouse be found in the castle, a professional catcher (usually one of the numerous barn cats found wandering the stables) was called in to take care of the problem. However, Serena had the sinking feeling that should a cat...no matter how good a mouser it was...be called in to take care of the rodent problem in this old castle, the rodents would likely wind up taking care of the cat instead! "Must be the pureness of the soil that makes the plants grow so rich around here. A perfect paradise for the local rat population," came Endymion’s deep, teasing voice from behind her. He was taking a short rest, lounging against a fallen tree, his back propped against the trunk with his legs spread out and his ankles crossed before him, hands linked behind his head. He gave her a boyish grin when she turned back to glare at him. Serena tried to ignore the way her heart picked up its pace as he smiled at her. Stop that! she scolded herself. He’s being obnoxious again! Aloud, she sniffed, "I’m so glad you’re amusing yourself. Really, I am. But please, if something decides to attack me, be sure you tell my sister how I died, kicking and screaming, as some abomination of nature dragged me off by my ankles while you simply sat there on your rear end and laughed!" Endymion merely chuckled. "Now, why would I tell her a thing like that?" he teased, his blue eyes shining with mirth. "If I told her anything, it would be how I tried to save you, but the abomination of nature was simply too strong for me, and none of my valiant efforts did any good, so I had to flee and save myself, lest the entire country begin to panic over my disappearance." Serena huffed in annoyance before deciding that simply ignoring him would be in her best interests. There was simply no dealing with him in this mood. At least, she thought sulkily, he wasn’t throwing things at her head when she wasn’t looking, as he’d been wont to do when they were children. Right on cue, something bounced sharply off the top of her head, and an acorn landed at her feet in the trampled grass. Spinning around, Serena fixed him with a fierce glare, and he looked back at her with an expression on his face that simply screamed innocence. In fact, she could almost see the little, angelic halo glowing over his head. Her eyes narrowed further. "It takes a pair of horns to hold up that halo," she muttered to herself. His eyes widened. "Excuse me?" he replied in a tone that was half a laugh. She blushed at the realization that he’d heard her. "Nothing," she replied quickly, turning around again to hide her burning cheeks. Curse the man for being so...so...arrrgh! She stomped forward again, searching the tangled grass for clues, managing to stumble over bits of stone and burnt wood, some of which looked like it might have once been part of the household furnishings. She’d been at this for several hours now, searching the manor grounds for anything that might tell her of her past, and she was quickly becoming frustrated. It didn’t help that she had no idea what she was looking for! What had she expected to find? A giant chest or some old diary that had miraculously survived the fire? A mysterious oracle that could tell her of her past? No doubt all the former residents were dead; she’d already stumbled across a skeleton or two that had been buried in rubble, which the peasants of the nearby village had probably missed when they’d searched for bodies after the fire burned itself out. There was a large plot of earth not far off in which the remaining bodies had probably been buried, ringed by what had once been a neatly-planted row of flowers, although it was mostly overgrown with weeds, now. A moldy, wooden cross, pounded into the earth at the far end of the plot, was the only marker the grave-site had, with the remains of dried flowers piled beneath it in various stages of decomposition; a clear sign that someone still came to pay respects to those buried there. A friend of the Knightly family, perhaps? Maybe even a relation? Or just some villager who felt sorry for the poor souls who’d lost their lives? Is my father buried here? Serena wondered as she gazed at the wooden cross. She felt sad just thinking about it. Had he died quickly, or had it been slowly, fearing for the life of his wife and child, wondering if they’d escaped, or if they’d been killed in the fire, as well, somewhere far from him? How sad, to think of him dying all alone, without his beloved wife or child at his side. He must have been frantic, worrying about them until the smoke and flames finally got to him. Serena didn’t realize she was crying until she felt a hot tear slide down her face and drip off her chin and onto her shirt, soaking into the thin cotton. It was followed by another one, and she anxiously scrubbed it away, not wanting Endymion to see. She suddenly wanted to go home, to the castle with Miaka and Rei, and hide away in her room until she stopped hurting. Why had Endymion brought her here? Why couldn’t he have left well enough alone? She had never had to think about it before, but now that she was there, feeling the chill of the air, like the touch of a haunted soul, all around her... "Serena?" Endymion asked softly from behind her. "Are you okay?" His voice, so close, startled her, and she spun around in surprise to find herself almost face-to-face with him. Well...as face-to-face as she could ever get with someone whose shoulder almost touched her forehead. "I-I’m fine," she stammered, although by the tear-tracks on her face it was clear she was not. "What is it?" he asked in concern, laying his hands on her shoulders and searching her face. "Why are you crying?" She shifted uncomfortably. "I was just...I was imagining," she replied in a low voice, embarrassed. "I was just thinking about how my father must have felt, when he died, and didn’t know where his wife was or if she was alive or safe or..." To her horror, her voice began to crack again, and she stopped speaking abruptly. Endymion sighed. "So that’s it," he whispered. Then, smiling softly, he added, "Come here." And he pulled her into his arms, wrapping them around her as he ran one hand over her back in a soothing motion. "There is no sense in thinking sad thoughts like that," he scolded her gently. "Especially since you don’t know that they’re true. For all you know, your father died after helping your mother to escape, and he died in peace knowing that both of you were safe." "If that’s true, why didn’t he escape with them?" Serena sniffled. "Sir Odhran was a knight and a warrior. If his home was being attacked, he would not have left it defenseless. He did what he was trained to do, helping those weak and defenseless to escape, and to live," Endymion replied. Serena felt sheepish suddenly. Of course that would be the case. Her father was a knight, and had no doubt died protecting her mother. "I like that idea better," she admitted, closing her eyes and allowing herself to relish the feel of being in the crown prince’s arms. "That he died defending his true love. Just like in all the stories Mama used to tell me. My father...a hero." "He was a hero," Endymion whispered. "I can barely remember him, but I do remember a tall man with dark golden hair and green eyes. He laughed a lot, and he told the most wonderful stories. Unlike many of the other knights, he never shooed me away when I watched him train in the courtyard. I even remember...he let me hold his sword once. In the scabbard, of course." He chuckled softly, and the sound rumbled in his chest and in Serena’s ear, making her smile. "Of course, I was only five years old at the time. His sword was bigger than I was! It made me fall over when I tried to balance it...It was heavy!...and the other knights laughed at me. But not him." His voice grew soft with the memory. "He never laughed. He just told me that one day I’d grow to be a fine, strong king, and I’d be able to wield a sword twice as big as his if I wanted to." Serena was in awe. "I...I didn’t know you knew my father," she whispered, lifting her head to look up at him through wide eyes. "You never told me that story before." He looked down at her, his expression wistful. "There’s a lot I haven’t told you," he replied, smiling a little. "But I did know your father, if only just barely, and I can tell you that I admired him as much as I admired my own father. I know he would have loved you very much, as much as he loved your mother." Serena sighed and closed her eyes. "It hardly seems fair that you knew my father when I never had the chance to," she murmured after a moment. "But thank you for telling me about him. I feel like I know him now, just a little." "I’m glad to help," he replied quietly. "That’s what I’m here for, if you need me. I’ll always be glad to help." She looked up at him in surprise, not certain how to respond. "Thank you," she replied. "Thank you for caring." They both fell silent then, gazing at the ruins of the old manor house, each lost in their own thoughts and memories. Neither of them seemed to realize that they still held each other in a comfortable embrace. Or, if they did realize, neither of them cared enough to end it. ~~~{~@ ~~~{~@ ~~~{~@ "We’re going to what?" Serena stared at Endymion as though he had a tree growing out the top of his head. Endymion, however, merely regarded her calmly as he smiled. "I said, it’s getting too late to start back now, so we’re going to camp here for the night. It’s nice weather, and we’ve been wandering around these ruins all day. I, for one, need a rest. Don’t worry, I brought everything we need for a camp," he assured her, even as his lips twitched with the effort of hiding his amusement at her scandalized expression. "But...but...us...camping out here...alone?!" she squeaked, her eyes going wide. "What would people say?! I highly doubt Their Majesties would appreciate having rumors flying around about their eldest son spending a night out in the bloody wilderness with a...with a servant girl! They’d disown you!" Her eyes widened even more. "They’d probably behead me!" She clutched her throat with one hand and gulped. Endymion smirked as he cleared brush and dead weeds away from a relatively sheltered spot beside the remains of a sturdy-looking stone wall. "I don’t think it would be as bad as all that," he replied humorously. "It’s just for one night, and I’m sure Rei and Miaka will cover for you if anyone asks where you went." She snorted. "Yeah, and when we get back they’ll likely lock me in the dungeon and torture me until I spill every bloody detail, and then they’ll start teasing me and making it into more of a scandal than it already is!" she huffed. "I want to go back, right now!" When he ignored her, she added, "I’ll steal the horse and go back on my own, if I have to!" He chuckled. "The Ghost is my horse, Serena," he replied dryly, "and he is trained to not leave my side, in case of injury in battle, so I won’t be stranded. He won’t take you back without me no matter how much sugar you offer him." Serena opened her mouth to protest again, but he silenced her with a knowing glance and a sly grin. "If I didn’t know any better, I’d almost think you were afraid to spend the night out here with me," he purred, regarding her through lidded eyes. "Don’t tell me you’re afraid, Serena," he added, his voice a low, intimate murmur. "What do you think I’m going to do to you? Or is it just the fact that I’m offending your maidenly virtues by even suggesting such a thing as sleeping close to a man?" She flushed darkly, mostly with anger. "You absolute conceit!" she yelled. "I don’t have to stay here and take this from you! If you want to stay out here and turn yourself into rat bait, that’s fine for you, but I won’t sleep like some wild creature in the middle of nowhere!" He smirked. "So it’s the rats you’re afraid of, and not me?" he asked, feigning hurt. "I think I should be insulted by such disregard for my many charms. Most women can’t resist me." He winked at her garishly. "Most women haven’t known you since you were five years old, either," she replied sweetly through gritted teeth. Her look turned sour. "Believe me, if they did, they wouldn’t think you were so wonderful!" She sniffed and crossed her arms in a "So there!" gesture. He laughed softly. "Such a bite that tongue of yours has," he murmured, gazing down into her eyes. "I wonder what it would take to silence it?" She smiled sweetly and fluttered her lashes at him. "A miracle?" she suggested coyly, before abruptly turning her back on him and stalking away. He watched her go with darkening eyes, his expression almost wistful. "No, it would take more than that," he whispered to him self. "Much more than that..." ~~~{~@ ~~~{~@ ~~~{~@ Serena curled up in her blanket by the small campfire and tried not to show Endymion how cold she was. The temperature had dropped drastically overnight...a completely unexpected turn...and even the thick, woolen blanket she wound tightly around her couldn’t keep it out. She was already as close to the fire as she dared to get without setting herself on fire. The crown prince, she noted sourly, didn’t appear to have any such trouble with the chill air. He lay on his side a few feet away, eyes closed and his breathing deep and even. She sighed. The only good thing about this strange chill was that it kept the wild animals safely in their dens, and away from her. Especially those rats. Endymion shifted and sighed softly, locks of fire-burnished hair falling across his eyes. Serena had to fight the insane urge to get up and go push them back in place, but she didn’t dare move. He was a light sleeper, after all, as she’d discovered the hard way, once upon a time. She didn’t know how he’d react if he woke up and found her touching him in a way she had no right to be touching him. Would he play another trick on me like he did that time? she wondered to herself, feeling her heart quicken at the memory. No, now was not the best time to let herself remember that particular embarrassment! Somewhere in the distance, a wolf suddenly howled, its eerie cry raising thinly into the air and setting Serena’s hair on edge. She shivered and hunched down in the blanket. Apparently not all the wild creatures had been chased away by the cold. Another cry answered the first, this one much closer, and she sat up and listened with a pounding heart and wide eyes. She normally loved to hear wolves howling...their song was so beautiful...but that had been within the safety of the castle walls, in her own bed, where the wild creatures couldn’t get to her. Out here, the song wasn’t beautiful. It was threatening. When yet another howl rose into the silence of the night, Serena bit back a yelp and decided to throw dignity to the wind. She gathered her blankets in one hand and dragged them closer to Endymion, suddenly very much needing his comforting presence. Even if he should wake and make fun of her for being afraid, it was still better than listening to those eerie, haunting cries all by herself. Spreading her blankets close to him...so close that she could reach out with one arm and touch him if she so chose...she slipped beneath them again and huddled up, pulling the top blanket over her head and peeking out from beneath it. Being closer to Endymion meant that she was further from the fire, but suddenly being warm didn’t seem to be so important anymore. Was it her imagination...or were those eyes glowing in the darkness? Suddenly, a heavy weight came to rest on her shoulder, causing her to shriek in surprise and start up in fear, ready to bolt. "Easy! Easy!" a harsh voice whispered in her ear. "It’s just me!" Serena collapsed, breathing hard and trying hard to stop her shivering. "If you ever scare me like that again I’m going to rip your throat out with my teeth!" she hissed, knocking his hand from her shoulder. He blinked at her, ready to retort, but noticed the paleness of her face in the light of the fire. His brow furrowed as he blinked sleep from his eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice husky from sleep. A shiver crawled up her spine at the sound of it. "Fine," she replied shortly, turning away so he couldn’t see her reaction to him. "Go back to sleep." "You heard the wolves," he stated seriously. Seeming to guess her worries, he added soothingly, "They won’t bother us, Serena. They’re off on a hunt, and they normally avoid fire. As long as this one doesn’t go out, we’ll be fine." "That’s tons of comfort," she mumbled, still shivering. She wished said fire was a little bigger, if not a little warmer. She couldn’t seem to shake the chill from her bones, no matter how tightly she wrapped the blanket around herself! Endymion finally noticed this. "Are you cold?" he asked in concern. "No, I’m not cold," she replied casually. "Why do you ask?" "Because your teeth are chattering," came the wry answer. A heavy sigh, then, "I’m sorry, Serena. I forgot how cold it got close to the river." "I’ll live," she muttered, half irritated and half touched at his concern. There was a moment of silence, and then a slight scuffle, and suddenly she found herself being draped with another blanket. Endymion’s blanket. What’s more, Endymion’s arm was around her, holding the blanket, and her back was suddenly pressed against a warm, firm chest as the crown prince’s velvet cape was shoved under her head, for use as a pillow. "That’s better," his voice whispered in her ear, breath warm on her cheek. "We’ll both stay warmer this way." Serena’s heart was pounding as she stared blindly out into the darkness. She held herself against him, stiff as an iron rod, not knowing what to do. She had to be dreaming! This couldn’t possibly be real... "Relax, Serena," he murmured, his voice filled with amusement. "I’m not going to bite you. Doesn’t it feel better now?" Oh, it felt better all right. It felt a little too good! She swallowed and forced herself to go limp, and he placed a hand on her side, stroking up and down the length of her side and hip soothingly. "That’s better. Now go to sleep, and don’t worry about the wolves. Their song is really beautiful, actually, if you listen." Serena did listen, and indeed, the wolf song didn’t seem as threatening as it had before. It was eerie, but now she heard the beauty of it again, and her lips curved into a smile as she allowed her eyes to close, the heat of her companion and the comfort he emanated serving to lull her into peaceful repose. Endymion sensed his small companion had finally drifted into sleep, and he sighed in relief, thankful that she was no longer shivering. He carefully turned her, so that she lay snuggled close to him, her head resting on his shoulder. One small hand came to rest on his chest, against his heart, which quickened its pace as he gritted his teeth and covered the hand with his own, bringing it down to her side again. This was perfectly innocent, only a tactic to keep themselves warm, and nothing more. Still, as he gazed down at her slumbering face, he couldn’t stop the little spiral of tenderness that encircled his heart. She had grown so much since he’d met her. He still remembered the first time he’d laid eyes on her, the night Ikuko had presented her to the king and queen and pleaded with them to allow her to raise the child as her own. He remembered that he’d thought the baby to be rather pale and sickly-looking, and had wondered if it would die. After all, he’d seen puppies born before, and the smallest of the litter never survived for more than a night. How could that skinny little runt of a baby ever survive? But now look at her. That mule-headed, stubborn streak of hers had apparently been more than enough to keep her alive, even to survive an ordeal that would have killed anyone else. Endymion smiled softly and raised a hand to brush a stray tendril of soft hair from her face. She had grown into such a beautiful young lady. How had she gone from a mewling infant to an annoying child to this ethereal creature huddled against his side in such a short span of time? He closed his eyes and rested his cheek against Serena’s hair, inhaling the sweet scent of lilies and rose water. The aroma...so familiar and yet so alien...soothed him like nothing in his life had ever done. And so, listening to the haunting lullaby of the wolves, the crown prince of Davinshire cradled close his worst enemy...and possibly his best friend...and fell into peaceful slumber. ~~~{~@ ~~~{~@ ~~~{~@ Serena woke to the sound of birds singing and the Ghost neighing contentedly as he cropped grass a few feet away. She was warm, and comfortable...more than she ever remembered being in her life...and...and her pillow appeared to be...beating? Her brow furrowed as she fought the sleepiness that still clung to her mind, trying to make sense of where she was. The blankets that surrounded her were a little too heavy to be blankets, and the velvet-clad pillow was a little too warm, and firm, and it was most definitely beating softly in her ear. It also appeared to be moving up and down, up and down, in a steady rhythm. Almost like...breathing. Serena’s eyes flew open as full awareness suddenly flooded her mind, bringing a bright flush to her cheeks as she realized that she was wrapped quite securely in Endymion’s arms, and that it was his chest she was resting so comfortably upon, sprawled upon, in fact. She lifted her head in a panic, her eyes shooting to the crown prince’s face. His own eyes were closed, features relaxed in slumber, but she remembered all too well the last time she’d been caught in a situation like this! Gulping, she carefully eased herself out of his arms, shivering as the chilly morning air hit her. He was laying on her hair; she yanked the braid loose from beneath him, then tensed in expectation, ready for him to start awake. He merely mumbled and shifted, turning over in his sleep so that his back was facing her, the blankets strewn around him. She breathed a sigh of relief, closing her eyes momentarily. She didn’t know how he would’ve reacted to have woken up to find her in his arms like that! The teasing would never stop then! She covered him with the blankets, in case the cold air woke him up, too, then stood and looked around, stretching and grimacing as her stiff joints cracked. Too many years sleeping in soft beds had not conditioned her for sleeping on a rocky floor all night, and even Endymion wasn’t that comfortable to lie against! Well, she was up; might as well make herself useful and start breakfast. An hour later...after taking the time for a morning wash in the cold river...the fire had been rekindled, and two rabbits that had been snared in a trap Endymion had set up the night before were sizzling on a metal skillet. The crown prince still slept, and Serena wondered amusedly how he’d react if she woke him up with a cup of icy river water thrown over his head. The idea was quite appealing. She could already imagine the outraged expression on that handsome, arrogant face of his. Her lips pulled upward in a devilish grin as she began eyeing the water skins tied to the Ghost’s pack, contemplating the distance to the river and back and trying to remember how fast Endymion ran, and whether she could out-sprint him. "Something smells good," Endymion’s deep voice...low and husky from sleep...suddenly cut into her musings, making her jump in surprise. She turned to regard him with wide eyes, and he had to wonder at the display of emotion...an odd mingling of guilt and disappointment...that flashed through them ever-so-briefly. "Breakfast ready yet?" he asked through a yawn, eyeing the rabbits frying over the fire like a starving wolf. "Hands off until they’re cooked!" she scolded him, slapping his hand away when he reached out to snatch a bit off one piece. "Heaven forbid that I should return home with the crown prince’s corpse and have to explain that he’d died of food poisoning! My reputation as a cook would be ruined for life!" "Very funny," he sniffed. "Have you got anything else to eat? I’m starving!" She gave him a sweet smile that, for some odd reason, deprived him completely of breath for a moment. "The Ghost certainly seems to be enjoying his breakfast. Why not try what he’s having?" she suggested in a honey-coated voice. "Or there are, of course, the numerous rats scuttling around here. I’m sure it would be a simple thing to catch a few, a big, strong soldier like yourself..." He rolled his eyes at her sarcasm. "I’m sorry I asked." ~~~{~@ ~~~{~@ ~~~{~@ They ate in companionable silence (for once), simply enjoying the morning air and the musical flow of the not-too-distant river. They didn’t mention last night...not that it wasn’t on both of their minds, but for once they were in complete agreement that they’d do nothing to cause the usual tension to rise between them. As they ate, Serena kept her eyes almost glued to the ruins of the castle not far off, appearing to be deep in thought. She finished chewing a bite of meat, then stated, in a determined voice, "I’m going to explore inside the castle today." Endymion’s fork paused halfway to his mouth, the meat on the end steaming in the chilly air. "I thought we agreed yesterday that we’d stay out of the castle, seeing as it’s too dangerous to go into it," he replied, and his voice held a warning in it. She snorted. "No. Yesterday, you said, ‘Serena, you’re not to go inside the manor house. It’s too dangerous to explore, and I don’t want any accidents’. And that was the end of the discussion. There was no agreement involved on my part that I can remember." "Why do you have to be so stubborn?" he snapped. "I don’t know. Why do you have to be so arrogant?" she retorted, crossing her arms. "Look, we found nothing of value outside. All the clues are probably in the castle itself, and how can I find it if I don’t go in? I know it’s dangerous, but I really don’t care. Don’t tell me you dragged me all the way out here for nothing!" He started to protest, but she held up her hand. "I don’t care what you say. I’m going in, whether you like it or not." And with those words, she stood and brushed off her hands and began to stroll in the direction of the ruined building. Endymion cursed and threw down his fork, hastily rising to follow her. So much for not having tension between them! She was just so...so stubborn! He hated that in a woman! Scowling, he caught up with her and caught her arm. "Fine, you little fool, but let me go in first! What kind of gentleman would I be to let a lady walk into a possible deathtrap without checking it out for myself?" She smirked. "I wasn’t aware that you were a gentleman," she replied smugly. "I thought you were just a prince." He stopped dead, then turned back to issue a sulky glare. "One of these days, that mouth of yours is going to get you into some serious trouble," he snapped. "You’d better hope I’m feeling generous enough at that time to get you out of it again!" Without another word, he turned his back and, with a sweep of his flowing cape, strode into the crumbling corridors of Willow Glen Manor. To be continued...