A Confused Love Part 4 & Epilogue
Author: Patch
E-mail: patchkhan1@hotmail.com
Rating: PG

This is it you guys, the last chapter. Hope you've enjoyed reading
this so far.

	Hoarse sobs followed her as she ran through the hallways
of the palace.  Not caring where she went, Rhianna only knew she
had to get out.  She had to get away, get away from him.  So
deep in her grief was she that, she couldn't stop herself in
time from colliding into another person.
	"Oh, I-I'm so sorry!  Are you all right?  If you'll
excuse me, I'm really quite sorry!" she cried in between sobs.
	"I'm quite fine, but I can see that you aren't.  Here,
take this."
	A handkerchief was pressed into her hands and she looked
up to see the owner.  She gasped when piercing blue eyes met her
own.
	"Who-Who are you?"
	"Darien, at your service.  And who might you be?"
	"My name is Rhianna," she gasped again as she recognized
the name, "You're King Endymion, Serena's husband."
	"That would be me, but I prefer to be called Darien.  I
take it you've met my wife?"
	"No, not yet.  I was going to but then..." she broke off
as tears choked her throat and made it difficult for her to speak.
	"Hey, it's alright, if you'd like you can speak to me about
whatever it is that's causing you so much pain."
	When she didn't answer, he spoke again, "I know that you
and Seiya are quite close and by the looks of it, I believe he's
the one who's caused you to cry?"
	She looked up at him, surprised, "How'd you know?"
	"I spoke to Kakyuu just a few minutes ago, she told me she
had suggested to you to meet Serena.  She then proceeded to tell
me all about you and Seiya and how happy she was for both of you.
I guess you came upon the both of them at the wrong time, huh?"
	"He loves her, you know," she said quietly.  She then
turned away from him with a sigh of disgust, "I feel like such a
fool.  I told him I loved him and I didn't think much of it when
he didn't say anything back.  I just thought that maybe he loved
me too.  He must have laughed his head off at me afterwards."
	Darien sighed as he thought about what he should say.
Sharing his thoughts wasn't easy but he knew that Rhianna needed
someone to talk to.
	"Rhianna, I have a confession to make.  To tell you the
truth, I never like Seiya much, in fact, I didn't want him and
Serena spending time together because I knew he felt feelings
that went beyond friendship for her.  But now I realize that,
even though those feelings may not have been about simple
friendship, they weren't exactly about real love either.
Seiya doesn't love her in 'that way.'"
	"But how come he could tell Serena he loved her but he
couldn't have told me the same thing?  It came so easily to him
when he spoke with Serena."
	Darien grinned at her tone of voice.  She sounded a bit
outraged. "Rhianna, the only reason why he said he loved Serena
was because the kind of love he has for Serena is almost
something like a brotherly love.  It's easy to say, but a
soul-deep kind of love, the kind that scares you sometimes with
its power; now that's hard to express.  Trust me, I know."
	She opened her mouth to say more but stopped herself
and fell silent.  Darien looked at her curiously.
	"Are you alright?"
	"I have to go think, I think I need some fresh air."
	She walked away from him, her head bowed and he could
not help but feel a little protective her.  He probably didn't
know exactly how she was feeling, but he was sure he had a pretty
good idea considering the fact that he had also put Serena
through some heart wrenching pain.  From his experience, he knew
no woman in love deserved to have her heart broken.

	"None of the guards have seen her."
	"I can assure you that Rhianna is not the type of person
to run away."
	"I know that too Kakyuu, but I hurt her, badly."
	Serena lay her hand on Seiya's arm in a bid to for him
listen to her.  "She loves you Seiya, she won't leave you no
matter how bad it gets."
	At that moment Darien walked in and Seiya immediately
turned to speak to him.
	"Have you seen Rhianna?"
	"As a matter of fact I have.  She was quite upset and
said she needed some fresh air."
	Seiya paled as he thought of what Darien said.  "She must
have gone to the Gundara cliffs!  It's her favorite place.  Oh my
God, I have to go get her!"
	He rushed out the door, Kakyuu following him leaving
Serena and Darien alone.
	"Maybe we should go to check on them."
	Darien turned to his wife and held out his arms to which
she immediately walked into.  He held her tight and rested his
chin in her hair.
	"I think they can handle things by themselves without us
interfering.  They'll find their way back to each other just as we
did a countless number of times."
	"But,"
	"No buts Serena.  I know you have all the right intentions
in mind but I don't think you're Rhianna's favorite person right
now.  We'll go check on them after a little while.  Don't worry
love, I trust Seiya will do the right thing."

	She stood at the edge of the cliff, the wind blowing her
hair around her face and tugging on her skirt.  She pushed a
blond strand back behind her ear and then crossed her arms once
more. The tears on her face had dried long ago and even though
her face still bore the signs of her crying she had resolved not
to cry anymore.
	She felt numb and empty, almost unfeeling as she stared
out at the city.  She made to take another step forward but
before she could even set her foot down she was roughly pushed
to the ground.
	"Don't do it!"
	She opened her eyes to find herself lying underneath
someone, and looked up to see his face.  Seiya.
	"What are you doing? Get off of me!" she yelled pushing
her hands against his chest.
	"I should be asking you that question.  What exactly
were you doing taking that step?"
	She stilled her movements and looked up at him confused,
until realization dawned upon her.
	"You thought I was going to jump?  Do you actually think
I would commit suicide?  Are you nuts?  What made you think such
a thing? Oh no, wait, let me guess, you thought I was so upset
over what I heard that I would just end my life right here and
now and not give two thoughts to all the people I'd leave behind.
What kind of selfish person do you think I am?"
	"I'm sorry Rhianna, I didn't mean to offend you. It's
just that, I've been so worried about you and the thought of you
leaving me has really scared me."
	"Oh please, if I left then you would have Serena to run
to."
	"That's not true," he said quietly, "Rhianna we need to
talk."
	"Oh go ahead and talk, it's not like I'm going anywhere
with you trapping me like this."
	Her sharp retorts were really getting to him and he
moved off of her and stood up, facing away from her.
	"Fine, it seems like you don't want to hear me out, so
go ahead, walk away.  Go ahead and keep believing that I love
Serena.  Don't bother hearing the truth of the matter.  Just
go."
	"No, I'll stay and listen to what you have to say."
	He turned around to face her and grabbed her hands,
"Rhianna, please, I'm so sorry.  I never meant to hurt you like
this."
	"Well, you did and what's done is done, right?"
	"No, this is not done. We're not done," he paused and
then continued, "I know that you heard me and Serena talking
and I truly regret that you had to hear me say I loved her
because I realize now I didn't exactly mean what I said."
	"Oh? And how is that?"
	"I said I loved her, and that's true, but wait, it's
not.... it's not the kind of love I feel for you!"
	She had had her head down all this time and at his
words she looked up, "What do you mean?"
	"I love you, I desire you, I want you, not because
you resemble Serena but because you are you.  I know that may
sound strange but that's as simple as I can put it.  I want to
be with you because of who you are not who you look like.  I
admit, the first time I saw you, I almost thought you were
Serena, and maybe that was one of the reasons why I was so
attracted to you, but now...but now I realize it's more than
that."
	By now, tears she had thought had gone dry, began to
pool once more at the corners her eyes.
	"Rhianna, the love I feel for you, it's scary because
it consumes me.  I need you to be who you are and never change.
I realize that what we share is something like what Darien and
Serena share, a soul-consuming kind of love, where one can't
exist without the other."
	"So you're saying that..."
	"I love you and only you."
	His eyes had taken on a mysterious sheen and she knew
that they were tears.  With a choked sob, she flung herself at
him and began to cry.  He held her close and his tears fell
into her hair as he stroked it, whispering over and over again
how sorry he was and would she ever be able to forgive him for
all the pain.
	She looked up at him, with a brilliant smile, "Seiya,
of course I forgive you.  For a while there I thought I never
could but I realized I could never do that to myself.  I need
you too because I love you, from the very first time I saw you
on that night to forever and ever when we both grow old and then
beyond that.  That's how long I'll keep loving you."
	He felt his heart expand at her words and he kissed her,
long and hard.  She gladly returned his kiss with just as much
passion and wrapped her arms behind his head.
	"Marry me," he whispered against her lips and was
delighted to hear a shy 'of course' come from her lips.
	They broke apart when they heard voices.  Three figures
came towards them and they saw that it was Kakyuu, Darien and
Serena.
	"I suppose you two have finally settled things?" Kakyuu
asked.
	Seiya wrapped an arm around Rhianna's waist and she
looked up at him before replying, "Yes, we have," she grinned
and then continued, "it was quite a surprise to hear him become
so...so emotional and loving.  Usually he's so cynical."
	Serena grinned also, "Yes Seiya, you're usually so
sarcastic and aloof, it's quite nice to see this *ahem* change
come over you."
	"Alright, alright, I get the hint already," he tipped
Rhianna's chin up and kissed her lightly, "but I owe to all to
you, my love."
	She blushed becomingly to a bright pink and everyone
laughed.

Epilogue
	"Seiya, sweetie, you love me don't you?"
	Seiya groaned and turned over in the bed to face his
wife.  He looked at the clock behind her and groaned again.  It
was three thirty in the morning.
	"What would you like now Rhianna?"
	"Some honeyed almonds would be really nice for the two
of us," she said rubbing her stomach.
	He smiled softly at her words and moved his hand to join
hers on her stomach.  After just a few moments he felt a sharp
kick and kissed his wife and then sighed.  "I really rue the day
Kakyuu got you hooked on those things.  How do you stand them?
They're so sweet!"
	She giggled before replying, "I just have this urge to
have them right now."
	"At 3:30 in the morning?"
	"Mm-hmm, with mustard sauce."
	She laughed when he paled and shot up in bed.
	"You have got to be kidding me.  I think I'm going to be
sick."
	"Relax Seiya, I was just kidding, but if you really really
love me, you'll get some won't you?"
	She pouted and he sighed once more and rubbed his face,
all traces of sleep gone.
	"Yes, love I'll be right back."
	As he reached the door she said, "Oh and Seiya, the mustard
sauce I don't need, but some of that maple syrup that Serena and
Darien brought for us, would be nicely welcomed."
	He quickly ran, Rhianna's laughter following him.

*~*~The End~*~*
You know I could have easily turned this into a Sere/Dar fic but
naaah, Seiya's a cool dude who needs someone to love (other than
Serena of course, no flames please!) So write me people, I love
hearing from you all but please, no flames, I take CONSTRUCTIVE
CRITICISM instead.  Bye bye!
patch:-)(-: