Post by strider on Jul 13, 2007 8:59:21 GMT -6
He stood hidden from sight, watching her with silent admiration as she strolled through the lush garden of one of her father’s many estates. She was as breathtakingly beautiful as ever, and he was captivated by the warmth that emanated from the sight of her and the sweeping calm that overcame him. He could think of nothing else but embracing her in his arms. She stopped for a moment to admire a group of flowers, and he decided to step out to reveal himself.
The young princess stopped and stood in utter shock as she noticed the handsome strider step out before her. A few moments of silence passed as the two past lovers looked into each other’s eyes, locked in an eternal embrace of souls.
“Kaaru…!?” she stuttered out.
“Hey, gorgeous,” he answered with a smile.
“What… what are you doing here!? How did you get past the guards!?” she asked, still in utter disbelief at the sight before her.
“Come on,” he smirked. “I’ve snuck into this estate countless times before. I know it inside out. Or have you forgotten?”
“Of course I haven’t…,” she said with a coy smile. She finally relaxed after the initial shock wore off, and she walked over slowly to him. She came up to him, and they stood mere inches apart. Her eyes trailed down to his lips as she slowly leaned in.
Suddenly, her right hand came up with blinding speed and slapped him across the cheek. He took the hit, turned his head to look back at her, and smiled. Her left hand came up with as much speed and force as her right did, but this time, he caught it with his hand before it reached his face.
“I only deserved the first one,” he stated. He let go, as she gently pulled her hand back.
“Where have you been?” she asked softly. “You left without saying a word. You never wrote.”
“Did you really think I could stay to watch you wed another man?”
She wrinkled her brows and looked down.
“Kaaru, I…”
Her words were interrupted abruptly by the sounds of a child laughing. She looked back and saw a pretty little girl turn the corner, running up to her and laughing merrily. She looked back to Kaaru quickly, concerned that the girl had seen him, but he was nowhere in sight. As expected, the strider had managed to hide himself quickly and quietly.
“Look, look!” the little girl said excitedly as she ran to the princess. She held up her hand to show a flower she had picked. “Look what I found!”
“Aww, that’s beautiful,” the princess stated as she stroked the girl’s hair. “Why don’t you run inside and see if you can get one of the maids to find you a pretty vase for it?”
“Okay!” the girl said, beaming with happiness, and she ran off from the direction she had come.
“Cute kid,” Kaaru said as he reemerged.
“I’d like to think so,” the princess responded as she turned to look back at him. “She’s mine, after all.”
“Oh,” Kaaru paused. He was taken aback, not knowing what to say as the shock hit him. The news had him visibly dazed. A few moments of awkwardness passed.
“She’s very beautiful,” he finally managed to say with a smile, “like her mother.”
“Thank you,” she responded. “But I think she has her father’s eyes. She has strider eyes…”
*****
The group walked about the town casually, stopping by the shops and taking in the sights.
“We should probably get a start on our work soon,” Morrigan stated.
“Yeah,” her sister Lilith agreed. “We have a lot of ground to cover. Elona’s a big place to scout.”
“What about Kaaru?” Angel asked in concern.
“He’ll catch up to us,” Morrigan said. “Besides, it’s probably better to split up like this. Let’s not just idle around while waiting for him. We should get some work done while he does his thing.”
“Besides,” Ice commented dryly, “he’s not the only one we need to worry about.” She pointed over to the side of the street, where Grendel and Voodoo were flirting with a group of Elonian women.
“I don’t think they have their minds on the goals of this mission at all,” Carinae said with a laugh.
*****
“I… umm…,” Kaaru hesitated. “What!?”
“She has your eyes,” the princess answered calmly. Kaaru stood in utter shock. “Thanks for leaving me a single mother. You deserved that second slap.”
“I… I’m sorry,” he stumbled. “I had no idea. Does your father know?”
She nodded.
“He has the whole kingdom after you. No one knows you’re here, right?”
Damn. The officials I spoke with at the docks…
“What’s the price on my head?” he said with a slight smile.
“Haha. That ego of yours…”
There was a moment of awkward silence, as she observed him struggle with the news.
“Got you,” she smiled.
“What…?” he asked, puzzled. She broke out in earnest laughter.
“You should have seen the look on your face!” she said through her laughter. Kaaru’s eyes widened as he realized what she meant.
“Why you little…” he said as he began to laugh, visibly relieved. The two laughed merrily for a few moments, surrounded by the scenery of the beautiful garden.
“You got me pretty well there,” he said. “That’s the first real laugh I’ve had in a long time.”
“Haha. Yeah, I did. Himes are greater than striders, after all,” she said with a wink.
“So whose child is she?” he asked, ignoring her boastful comment.
“She’s my niece. I’m watching her while my sister and her husband are away on a trip.”
“And what of your betrothed?”
She held out her hand for him to see.
“No wedding band,” he commented. She shook her head. “What happened?”
“Plans fell through. There were some complications between our two families.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“No, you’re not,” she said as she pointed to him. “I know you.”
“Fine, I’m not,” he admitted with a smile. “I’m not sorry to see that you didn’t marry a man you barely knew.”
“Kaaru,” she said. “It’s complicated. You know that. It was for the family… It’s all politics…”
“You would choose duty over me…”
“I don’t see you dropping on your knees and professing your love to me.”
“Your father would never approve,” he said.
“He thinks you’re a good man.”
“A good soldier,” he corrected. “A good bodyguard. Someone to do the dirty work. A good man to have under his service, not a good man for his daughter.”
She sighed, and a brief silence followed as the two stared into each other’s eyes. They smiled at each other, and it was as if nothing had changed.
“Here,” Kaaru broke the silence. “These are for you.” He took out a small package and held it out to her.
“A surprise?” her eyes lit up.
“Canthan treats,” he said. “I know you like sweets.”
“Thank you,” she said as she took it, receiving it with a pleasant smile. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.
“It’s good to finally see you again,” he said. “I’ve never stopped thinking about you.”
“How many have there been since me?” she asked boldly.
“None,” he answered sincerely. She looked into his eyes and smiled.
“How long are you staying in Elona?”
“For a while, but I should be back more frequently.”
“Okay,” she responded, satisfied with his answer. “Anyway, I should get going. I don’t want them to wonder where I am and start looking for me.”
The strider nodded, and the princess began to walk away.
“I’ll drop by later,” he said to her.
She stopped and looked back at him with a softly seductive glance.
“Welcome back, strider.”
The young princess stopped and stood in utter shock as she noticed the handsome strider step out before her. A few moments of silence passed as the two past lovers looked into each other’s eyes, locked in an eternal embrace of souls.
“Kaaru…!?” she stuttered out.
“Hey, gorgeous,” he answered with a smile.
“What… what are you doing here!? How did you get past the guards!?” she asked, still in utter disbelief at the sight before her.
“Come on,” he smirked. “I’ve snuck into this estate countless times before. I know it inside out. Or have you forgotten?”
“Of course I haven’t…,” she said with a coy smile. She finally relaxed after the initial shock wore off, and she walked over slowly to him. She came up to him, and they stood mere inches apart. Her eyes trailed down to his lips as she slowly leaned in.
Suddenly, her right hand came up with blinding speed and slapped him across the cheek. He took the hit, turned his head to look back at her, and smiled. Her left hand came up with as much speed and force as her right did, but this time, he caught it with his hand before it reached his face.
“I only deserved the first one,” he stated. He let go, as she gently pulled her hand back.
“Where have you been?” she asked softly. “You left without saying a word. You never wrote.”
“Did you really think I could stay to watch you wed another man?”
She wrinkled her brows and looked down.
“Kaaru, I…”
Her words were interrupted abruptly by the sounds of a child laughing. She looked back and saw a pretty little girl turn the corner, running up to her and laughing merrily. She looked back to Kaaru quickly, concerned that the girl had seen him, but he was nowhere in sight. As expected, the strider had managed to hide himself quickly and quietly.
“Look, look!” the little girl said excitedly as she ran to the princess. She held up her hand to show a flower she had picked. “Look what I found!”
“Aww, that’s beautiful,” the princess stated as she stroked the girl’s hair. “Why don’t you run inside and see if you can get one of the maids to find you a pretty vase for it?”
“Okay!” the girl said, beaming with happiness, and she ran off from the direction she had come.
“Cute kid,” Kaaru said as he reemerged.
“I’d like to think so,” the princess responded as she turned to look back at him. “She’s mine, after all.”
“Oh,” Kaaru paused. He was taken aback, not knowing what to say as the shock hit him. The news had him visibly dazed. A few moments of awkwardness passed.
“She’s very beautiful,” he finally managed to say with a smile, “like her mother.”
“Thank you,” she responded. “But I think she has her father’s eyes. She has strider eyes…”
*****
The group walked about the town casually, stopping by the shops and taking in the sights.
“We should probably get a start on our work soon,” Morrigan stated.
“Yeah,” her sister Lilith agreed. “We have a lot of ground to cover. Elona’s a big place to scout.”
“What about Kaaru?” Angel asked in concern.
“He’ll catch up to us,” Morrigan said. “Besides, it’s probably better to split up like this. Let’s not just idle around while waiting for him. We should get some work done while he does his thing.”
“Besides,” Ice commented dryly, “he’s not the only one we need to worry about.” She pointed over to the side of the street, where Grendel and Voodoo were flirting with a group of Elonian women.
“I don’t think they have their minds on the goals of this mission at all,” Carinae said with a laugh.
*****
“I… umm…,” Kaaru hesitated. “What!?”
“She has your eyes,” the princess answered calmly. Kaaru stood in utter shock. “Thanks for leaving me a single mother. You deserved that second slap.”
“I… I’m sorry,” he stumbled. “I had no idea. Does your father know?”
She nodded.
“He has the whole kingdom after you. No one knows you’re here, right?”
Damn. The officials I spoke with at the docks…
“What’s the price on my head?” he said with a slight smile.
“Haha. That ego of yours…”
There was a moment of awkward silence, as she observed him struggle with the news.
“Got you,” she smiled.
“What…?” he asked, puzzled. She broke out in earnest laughter.
“You should have seen the look on your face!” she said through her laughter. Kaaru’s eyes widened as he realized what she meant.
“Why you little…” he said as he began to laugh, visibly relieved. The two laughed merrily for a few moments, surrounded by the scenery of the beautiful garden.
“You got me pretty well there,” he said. “That’s the first real laugh I’ve had in a long time.”
“Haha. Yeah, I did. Himes are greater than striders, after all,” she said with a wink.
“So whose child is she?” he asked, ignoring her boastful comment.
“She’s my niece. I’m watching her while my sister and her husband are away on a trip.”
“And what of your betrothed?”
She held out her hand for him to see.
“No wedding band,” he commented. She shook her head. “What happened?”
“Plans fell through. There were some complications between our two families.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“No, you’re not,” she said as she pointed to him. “I know you.”
“Fine, I’m not,” he admitted with a smile. “I’m not sorry to see that you didn’t marry a man you barely knew.”
“Kaaru,” she said. “It’s complicated. You know that. It was for the family… It’s all politics…”
“You would choose duty over me…”
“I don’t see you dropping on your knees and professing your love to me.”
“Your father would never approve,” he said.
“He thinks you’re a good man.”
“A good soldier,” he corrected. “A good bodyguard. Someone to do the dirty work. A good man to have under his service, not a good man for his daughter.”
She sighed, and a brief silence followed as the two stared into each other’s eyes. They smiled at each other, and it was as if nothing had changed.
“Here,” Kaaru broke the silence. “These are for you.” He took out a small package and held it out to her.
“A surprise?” her eyes lit up.
“Canthan treats,” he said. “I know you like sweets.”
“Thank you,” she said as she took it, receiving it with a pleasant smile. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.
“It’s good to finally see you again,” he said. “I’ve never stopped thinking about you.”
“How many have there been since me?” she asked boldly.
“None,” he answered sincerely. She looked into his eyes and smiled.
“How long are you staying in Elona?”
“For a while, but I should be back more frequently.”
“Okay,” she responded, satisfied with his answer. “Anyway, I should get going. I don’t want them to wonder where I am and start looking for me.”
The strider nodded, and the princess began to walk away.
“I’ll drop by later,” he said to her.
She stopped and looked back at him with a softly seductive glance.
“Welcome back, strider.”