23Our Dream
Elaine giggled as she ran, bright green dress kicked up around her legs as she leapt through the high grass, chasing grasshoppers as they hopped away from her stampede. One of them jumped back, landing on her head, and she squealed in delight, beginning to spin in circles. The grasshopper was quick to hop away, but she didn't stop until she was dizzy and fell backwards into the tall grass, letting it encase her in all sides as she laughed herself breathless.
The dark shadow of a man leaned over her, smiling down with the sun at his back.
"You having fun there, kiddo?"
Elaine beamed, holding up her arms. "Uncle Reese!"
He reached down and a pair of strong, warm arms encircled her little body before lifting her up from her grass bed and resting her against the man's hip. He smiled at her through a pair of pale blue eyes, not quite as electric as her own, but no less full of love. Elaine wrapped her arms around his neck as he walked with her back through the grass towards the picnic blanket Flavie was still sitting on.
"Did you catch the hopper?" She asked, leaning back, quite at her ease.
"He caught me!" Elaine announced, bouncing against Reese's hip.
He brought her around, setting her down next to Flavie before sitting on her other side. Elaine was squished between them, already reaching for the second half of her pudding that she had left unfinished for her grasshopper chase.
Flavie smiled, petting Elaine's hair down with a peaceful grin on her face.
Reese just stared at at the two of them. Elaine barely noticed, but Flavie did. She lifted her eyes to him and grinned slowly.
"What?"
"Nothing." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Just looking at my two favorite girls."
Flavie chuckled. "Charmer."
His smile faded into a more serious expression. "Flavie, have you given more thought to what I said?"
Flavie turned from him quickly. Elaine looked up from her pudding, confused by the sudden change in the tone of the conversation.
Reese reached around Elaine, grabbing Flavie's hand. He clasped it tight, holding it to his heart.
"I love you, Flavie. And, I know I'm not as rich as Evrard, but I can still give you a comfortable life full of love and more happiness than a thousand diamonds could bring."
"That's not the problem..." Flavie murmured. "You really think that I can break things off with a pirate as notorious as Blue Bird and escape unscathed?"
"Then, we'll run away."
"I can't leave Elaine behind."
"What are you talking about?" He chuckled. "Of course, we'll take her with us."
Flavie turned to him, surprise written across her face. "You would raise another man's child?"
"Raise her? I already love her." Reese leaned down, kissing Elaine's head. She beamed at him in return, a mouthful of pudding making her cheeks round. "What do you think, kiddo? Would you like to come away with me and your mother? Start a whole new life somewhere?"
Elaine was quick to swallow. "You mean it?"
"Yeah!" He squeezed her. "There's nothing I want more. I want to marry you, Flavie. I want Elaine to take my name. Elaine Honorine. It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"
Flavie bit her lip. "I don't know. Evrard is powerful, and his reach is far."
"I don't care if we have to escape to South Gate to get away from him. Flavie." Reese came up onto his knees, facing her fully. "I have a friend in Gwenael. I've already written him and he's promised me a job as a dockworker. It's not glamorous, but it's steady pay. We could send Elaine to a proper school, and have a nice, sturdy home together."
"Reese..." Flavie let out a stuttered breath. "That sounds... wonderful."
"Right?" He beamed. "Elaine, what do you think?"
"Let's go!" She yelled, laughing as she fell back. "I can make friends in Gwenael, right?"
"Absolutely! We'll have a whole new life together, Flavie. What do you say? Will you marry me?"
Flavie let out a long breath. "Evrard is due back any day now..."
"Then, we'll wait for him to come, then escape when he leaves. That will give me time to pack, gather supplies, and charter a ship to Gwenael."
"Lord above..." Flavie wrapped her arms around herself. "What am I even thinking?"
"You're thinking of how much you love me. And how much I love you." Reese leaned over, kissing her cheek as Elaine giggled, blushing. "I love you, Flavie, and I will spend my life ensuring that both of you are happy and loved and that the house we build together is filled with laughter and joy. Leave your past behind and face your future with me. Flavie, please."
Flavie threw her arms around him.
Elaine smiled, staring up at the display. "So, we're going to Gwenael?"
Flavie leaned back, wiping happy tears from her eyes as she smiled down at her daughter. "That's right. We're going to live with Uncle Reese in Gwenael!"
"Yay!" Elaine threw up her hands. "I can't wait to tell papa!"
"No!" Flavie turned abruptly pale, grabbing for her. "You can't tell your father!"
Elaine's face fell. "Why not?"
"It's... a secret."
"But, why?"
"It's just..." Flavie and Reese shared a concerned look before a flash of inspiration crossed Flavie's face and she looked back down at her child. "We're playing hide and seek with your papa, and you can't just tell him where we'll be hiding, right?"
Elaine shook her head, a smile forming again, and Flavie's face relaxed further.
"Keep this secret, Elaine, and I promise I'll give you a present. Okay?"
"A present?" Elaine's brightened immediately. "What kind of present?"
"It's a surprise." Flavie laughed, booping her nose. "But, you only get it if you don't tell your father about our... game. Do you promise?"
"I promise!" Elaine declared brightly.
The cold, gray dimness of reality was a sharp, harshly jarring contrast to the bright joy of her dream and Elaine found herself struggling to hold onto the quickly fading remnants as she groaned, burying her face down into the thin cot she laid upon.
However, the harder she fought to return to sleep, the more it slipped through her fingers until she found herself wide awake, curled around her own torso, with tear tracks on her face.
It had been so long since she had ever thought of that moment. She thought she might have forgotten it entirely. The unfettered joy had been consuming. Especially in comparison to the bleak present of the jail cell that surrounded her now.
Groaning in discomfort - the cot was little more than a wooden slab - Elaine rolled over onto her back and glared blearily into the light coming in front the singular, high and thin window of her cell.
Letting out a long breath, she reached up to touch the scar over her heart.
Elaine tried not to take on head or heart wounds, simply because she never knew if she was going to survive them or not. The one she had taken from Odilon had been the first, deeper even than the one she had tried to claim from her mother. And, likely because it was a heart wound, it had taken that much longer to heal.
She didn't remember flying back through Vasconia or landing in Gwenael. She had a brief memory of screaming in pain when the physician had initially examined her, but that memory shut off rather abruptly, convincing her she must have lost consciousness.
Since then, she had been in this cell. She didn't know for how long on account of how often she was sleeping and the irregularity with which she woke. Food was brought to her and she ate it, and afterwards she would always feel sleepy. If she had to guess, it was laced with sleeping drugs in order to keep her sedated and healing, or sedated and under control.
Not that Elaine was making any attempts at escaping. She woke up, ate, and fell back asleep. On occasion, she could hear the other prisoners or guards roaming or talking around her, but she mostly ignored them and was ignored in turn.
The pattern had become so familiar to her, even as she slept through most of it, that when it came that she ate the food set inside her cell and wasn't immediately tired afterwards, she knew that something was going to be happening that day.
Sitting back on the cot, wondering if it was morning or afternoon, she stared at the three stone walls and iron bars that made her cell without comment.
Randomly, she would reach up to check the scar. It had fully healed over, but the mark that remained over her heart was still red and angry and, occasionally, her ribs would ache as though reminding her that she had come a little too close to the edge.
The soft sounds of gentle sandal's shuffling outside in the hall drew her eye because it wasn't the hard boots of the guards or the bare feet of the prisoners. It was punctuated every other step with the delicate click of a cane on the stony ground. A worried voice called out-
"Master, I don't think you should be here."
"I can't think of anywhere else I should be, actually."
"She's vicious and dangerous!"
"That's not nice. Now, stop worrying."
As he was chastising the worrying acolyte who stood behind him, Master Eneas, leader of the church and equal to the king in power, stepped into her view. He wore the same white robe as the rest of the church devotees with only his knobby cane to set him apart. His back was beginning to bend with his age but his bright blue eyes hadn't at all dimmed through the years.
"There you are." He said, smiling at her fondly as he rested both hands on his cane.
"Hello, master." Elaine greeted simply, her voice oddly calm.
The acolyte behind him growled. "On your feet, rogue! How dare you blatantly disrespect-"
"That's enough." Eneas gave him a searching look. "Where does this anger come from? You must work to control that, Albain."
"Master..." Clearly not prepared for him to be the one getting chastised, Albain fell silent.
Eneas returned his gaze to Elaine, smile back in place. "It's good to see you. It's been some years."
"Indeed. The cane is new."
"That old bum knee of mine." He chuckled, lifting the leg in question. "You're much changed as well. Your hair is shorter. It probably falls into your face a lot, doesn't it?"
Elaine shrugged. "I suppose it does."
"Hm." Eneas looked her over. "I'm glad to see you're doing well otherwise. You were a right mess when you were brought in here. I've never seen you heal so slowly before. I was genuinely concerned. It relieves my heart to see you up and moving again."
Elaine nodded once. "Thank you for your concern."
"Well," he tapped his cane on the ground, "are you ready to go?"
"Go?"
"You're fully healed. It's time for your trail."
"Are you escorting me yourself, master?"
Eneas smiled as the acolyte moved to unlock the cell. "You are one of my children, Elaine. All of you girls are precious to me. No matter what your future holds, I will walk beside you."
Eneas held up his hand to her as Albain finished pushing the bars aside. Elaine stared at the elder for a long moment before getting to her feet.
"Well, at least there will be one friendly face as I head to the guillotine."
She took his hand and started in surprise.
"What is it?" He asked when she just stared at the limb.
Biting her lip, Elaine shook her hand as she clasped onto him with both hands. She didn't know how to tell him that she didn't realize just how cold she was until she felt the warmth of his touch. It was like the kiss of the sun on cooled flesh and it took everything she had in that moment not to embrace him and his warmth fully.
Eneas stared at her in confusion for only a moment before smiling.
"Shall we go then, Elaine?"
She nodded, still holding onto him like a child would their mother's skirts. He didn't seem to mind as he began escorting her through the prison. Albainlooked like he wanted to protest taking her out with no protections, but Eneas shot him a look that quickly silenced him.
Elaine didn't know immediately where she was, but when they emerged from the jail and out into the burning sunlight, she was able to recognize the district that surrounded her at least. The Bronze District, the poorest of the nine top plates, housed the large jail that she had been confined within. The small dock that she was walked towards was used specifically for the prisoners.
A small aircab was already waiting for them, engine running. It wasn't one of the guarded jail ships meant for escorting people to and from trial and sentencing. It was a regular aircab. Eneas, at least, knew she wasn't going to attempt an escape.
Albain stepped forward to offer Eneas a hand into the cab, but he accepted Elaine's help instead. She lowered him into the seat before climbing in after him. In doing so, she was forced to release his hand and found that she missed his touch dearly.
"His majesty shall be presiding over your trial." Eneas informed her as Albainclimbed inside and shut the door behind him.
"Not altogether shocking." Elaine said, unconcerned.
"We have already received testimony from the others. Colette, Felicie, Lea, Skipper, Marceau, and Odilon have all given their accounts as to what transpired. I must say, it's a fine tale."
"You think so?"
Albain threw her a dirty look for her disrespectful voice, but she didn't care.
Eneas nodded. "All of that, Elaine, for a doll."
"I don't expect you to understand."
"Whether you expect it or not, I'm trying to anyway."
Elaine shook her head. "It's just important to me. That's all."
"Emotional attachment to a childhood toy? Or, perhaps, the memory of your mother?"
She sighed. "I'm not sure..."
Silence lapsed between them, broken only by the hum of the engine as the cab flew them over the Bronze District, across Magnesium, heading for the Royal Complex. Grosamador Palace rose from the center, standing high above the entirety of Gwenael and sparkling regally in the morning sun.
They touched down onto the dock outside of the palace. Waiting for them was Nina, who immediately stepped forward, locking eyes on Elaine.
"Good to see you among the land of the living." She said, her voice neutral.
"Can't really say the same for myself." Elaine replied dully, earning a swat from Eneas to her head. It didn't hurt, but she still frowned at him as she rubbed the spot. "What was that for?"
"Don't put so little value on your life." He ordered with a stern expression.
Elaine, unsure of what to say, said nothing at all as Nina's soldiers flanked her sides and, together, they all walked her towards the palace.
The throne room of the royal palace was a place intended for kings and queens to hold audiences and hear grievances as the need dictated. Occasionally. for rather high profile cases, it could become a courtroom. Presiding over it, sitting on his throne, King Cyrille perched with a frown on his face. His golden right hand glittered on the arm of his throne.
In the left, Elaine's blood stained doll sat nestled in his palm.
She said nothing as she was walked forward, her head high. She made no excuses for herself or her actions, nor did she hide her face in shame. She faced her king with a proud chin up as the rest of the gathered group turned to face her.
Odilon was there, standing at Cyrille's side, as was Queen Radelle. Though she was not sitting in her adjacent throne. Instead, she was standing near Lea, the two of them appearing to have been in deep conversation before Elaine stepped in. Colette and Felicie were also nearby, both of them standing on either side of Gael.
The young priest, Master Eneas' most direct disciple, gave Elaine a friendly smile as she walked through the room. Though she had never met him personally, she knew who he was by anecdote. It unnerved her slightly how very similar his smile was to Eneas'.
Turning her eyes back to Cyrille she was kept from coming in too close when Nina held up a hand, prompting the guards to take hold of her arms. Elaine obediently stopped as Nina continued upwards until she stood on Cyrille's other side.
A beat of silence echoed in the room and Elaine stood there rather awkwardly.
Cyrille spoke first. "I'm glad to see your injury fully healed." His voice contained neither condemnation nor any particular warmth at seeing her.
Elaine reached up and touched her chest through the plain prison garb she wore. "Thank you."
"Elaine." Nina gave her a look. "Your manners."
Elaine rolled her eyes. "Thank you, your majesty."
Cyrille looked from her down to the doll he held. "This is the object you returned with from Lloegyr."
"That's it."
"You betrayed your country, your entire purpose, and stabbed a man through the belly, for this." He held up the doll by the arm, letting her hang down sadly, her grin ever present.
"I did." Elaine didn't attempt to hide her crime.
Odilon opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, Cyrille cut him off by simply raising his right hand. The motion silenced him, but he looked like he dearly wanted to continue.
"Tell me, Elaine, in your own words, what happened." Cyrille ordered, taking hold of the doll again.
She took in a breath and began. "Nina found me in Caieta-"
"No. Go back to the very beginning. Start with the night that you left."
Elaine hesitated but the king gave her a firm look.
She sighed once and tried again. "I had a dream one night. About my family. My mother and I were on a picnic with... with a man that I called uncle. He was my mother's lover. Her love. His name was Reese Honorine. And he offered that day to run away with my mother and me and make us a real family. That doll was the promise that we made. I wanted it back."
Her voice continued, soft but sure, as she recounted her escape from Gwenael, her brief return to her hometown of Hamnet, then her expansion outwards from there in search of the man who had raided and burned down her childhood home.
She explained the pirates she killed and the crews she disbanded. She explained the lives that she saved and those that she ruined. She told them of Nina and joining their crew, knowing full well at the beginning that she would have to betray them.
She described meeting Captain Wallis on the border. Then she spoke of the battle at Gy-Hamelin. She told him that she led the army to protect it, and that she took their wounds to fulfill her duties as a paladin. She described Lloegyr and the people that she met there.
Then, she described the pirate crew. Blue Bird's men. His actions. The way he had branded her and forced her to lead a raid. The way she had willingly gone along with it, deliberately hurting those she had to in order to avoid killing them.
And then, she described the meeting between Captain Wallis and Blue Bird and how the captain was paid to ferry messages between the pirate and Gascony.
"Wallis betrayed his own people?" Felicie interrupted them, surprise forcing her to speak.
Elaine gave her a look and nodded. "He did. Papa told me that he was of the casteless and lied to become a military officer. He can only advance so far on that lie, however, and he has resorted to treachery in order to line his pockets. He implicated Gascony directly."
"I see." Cyrille nodded. "Continue."
Elaine licked her lips. Her throat and mouth were dry and her throat was sore, but she kept talking, describing Tristram and how she had met with Marceau and snuck him into her room. Then, how she had used him to find the trunk that contained that doll. Finally, she described Blue Bird's last stand and how, at the cost of his own life, he had tried to kill Odilon.
"And, that is where I obtained this." She said, touching her chest. "I begged for my powers back, and I took his wound onto me. You probably know what happened next better than I do."
Cyrille took in a breath, turning his eyes back to the doll.
"You are convinced that this was worth what you did?"
"If you gave me the option, I would do it again." Her voice was resolute.
"And, if that choice leads to your death?"
"I would ask only that you bury me with the doll. Though, I would understand why you wouldn't."
"Elaine..." Odilon called out to her, frowning.
Cyrille let out long breath, sitting back into his throne. "All this... over a doll." He looked into the happy face of the toy.
"However, let it not be said that you haven't otherwise attended to your duty as a paladin. And, you obtained important information for us. You also returned, submitting yourself to Lea of your own will, once you completed your objective."
He looked back to her. "Why were you so willing to return, Elaine?"
She shrugged. "I suppose I don't have anywhere else to go."
"That's all?"
Letting out a breath, she shook her head. "I don't know. I've never really considered myself a paladin."
"Despite completing your duties as one?"
"A deal is a deal. You promised me Blue Bird in return for information on Gascony and stopping the pirate problem. I just kept my end of the bargain."
"So you did. Not quite in the way I hoped, but I can't deny that you did it. Furthermore, no one was killed, despite your betrayal. Which leaves me in a conundrum." Cyrille leaned forward, his eyes flashing with sadness. "The last thing I want, Elaine, is to sentence you to death. I cannot approve of what you did, but I don't want to punish you for it either. At least, not if I can avoid it."
"I wouldn't blame you. It is your job." Elaine shrugged.
He nodded, leaning back. "In which case, in light of all this evidence both for and against you, I'm going to leave your sentencing to another."
Elaine raised a curious eyebrow and the room turned to him.
"Cyrille?" Radelle started but he gave her a gentle look, beseeching her to trust him.
He turned around, casting his eyes from Elaine.
"Felicie."
She jumped at being addressed. "Me?"
"Indeed. You are the one who predicted what Elaine would do, and you are the one who advised against us putting our faith into her. Therefore, I put it to you. What would you have Elaine's sentence be?"
Elaine turned around to face her at the same moment Felicie looked her way. The two of them locked eyes and the echoes of angry words rang out between them. Felicie took in a breath and held it as Elaine watched her with resigned acceptance.
"Felicie?" Cyrille prompted.
She looked back to him. "You'll do whatever I say?"
"It's completely up to you."
Felicie pursed her lips, turning towards Elaine again.
Elaine said nothing as she walked her way, her expression unreadable.
"Elaine." She greeted softly. "You said... the doll represented a promise."
"It does."
"You've also told me that you loved your father."
"I did."
"Even now?"
Elaine shrugged. "I don't know. I suppose not anymore. But, I did once. I loved my mother, my Uncle Reese, and my father. They were my family. That doll is all I have left of my past."
Felicie lowered her eyes. "You said to me once that we're similar. I don't think that's true. Unlike you, I don't really have a family like that. Not one that I can look back on and claim a direct tie to. I never knew my parents, and I never will, so I could never understand why you loved yours.
"However," she lifted her gaze again. "I can, and I do, understand loving someone like that. I don't have parents, but I have my sister and, if something were to happen to her, holding onto her memory is the only thing I would be able to do. In that respect, I think I do understand."
Elaine said nothing, waiting for her judgment to fall.
"You said, you never felt like a real paladin."
"No. I didn't."
"How about now?"
"I broke my vows. Lea took my power. Even if she gave it back, she still revoked them and my position. I would say I'm even less of a paladin then I was before."
Felicie nodded. "In which case, in light of what you have done to rid the world of Blue Bird and provide information valuable to the war, as an average citizen using methods of sabotage and espionage, I cannot convict you of a crime. Is that all right, your majesty?"
Cyrille was beginning to smile. "I did say, whatever you decided, Felicie."
She began to grin. "Furthermore, as a newly pardoned member of society, with full rights and privileges, and as someone possessing a paladin's power, I want to offer you the right to take your vows again."
Elaine started in surprise. "You... what?"
"Fully aware of what they entail, knowing you will be called to war if you agree, but with absolutely no pressure to agree, will you take the paladin's oath once more? Sincerely, this time?"
Elaine blinked at her, staring past her shoulder to Odilon. He was gazing at her with a combination of yearning and fear.
"If I say yes, will I be able to protect these people?" She asked, her voice soft.
Felicie grinned. "It would be expected of you."
Elaine nodded. "Then, I will. Put me to war if you want. Just let me protect... him."
Odilon let out a low breath when she looked his way. Biting her lip, she quickly averted her eyes. Felicie grinned at the display.
"Selling your life away for a single man, Elaine?"
She turned her gaze onto Felicie. "It may not be important to you, but it is to me."
"Well, I know how much value you place in the things you consider important." Turning, Felicie nodded her head as she stepped back.
She was replaced by Master Eneas and Gael - the latter of which beamed at her.
"My girl." Eneas gave her a soft look. "You're certain? No regrets this time?"
Elaine shook her head. "I know my purpose now, master. I'm not looking back anymore."
Eneas nodded and had Albain leave the room in order to fetch the Holy Record. The events, triumphs, and defeats of the lives of the paladins were written down in its pages as they unfolded. WhenAlbain returned and the book was opened to Elaine's pages, she could see at the end, after she had left Gwenael, someone had written in-
The Blood Bearer has turned rogue.
Gael held the book open as Eneas cleared his throat, preparing to write within it. His voice was powerful, despite his age, as he began to speak. "If you would kneel, Elaine."
She took a breath but didn't hesitate to do so, getting down onto one knee. The entire room had fallen silent as they looked to her.
"State your name."
"Elaine Honorine."
"State your title."
"Rogue paladin, formerly of my Lord and king. The Blood Bearer. The Pain Collector."
Eneas gave her a look out of the corner of his eye before continuing. "Do you, Elaine Honorine, swear to uphold the teachings of the church and not to betray our Lord or His commands as decided by the Holy Sacellum and the High Seat?"
"...I do." She sounded surprised by her own voice.
"Do you, Elaine Honorine, swear to uphold the laws of the king and queen and to follow their commands, so long as those commands do not force you to betray the teachings or commands of the Holy Sacellum and the High Seat?"
"I do."
"Do you, Elaine Honorine, swear to uphold the peace and safety of the country of Vasconia and her people, doing everything in your power to see to their protection, so long as that action does not betray the laws and commands of the king or the teachings and commands of the Holy Sacellum and the High Seat."
Elaine grimaced at the vow, but she didn't hesitate this time. "I do."
"Elaine Honorine, you have been given the power of healing. Your body can take on the wounds of others and heal from them as they might not be able to do. This gift has been given onto you by the Lord, marking you as a paladin and calling you into His service. Do you swear from this day forward to use this gift in His name, wielding it as a weapon, shield, and tool, so long as that use does not betray your previous vows?"
"I do!" She sounded far more sure this time.
Eneas grinned at her enthusiasm. "Elaine Honorine, you have also been given skills in combat not equaled by the common man. You are stronger, faster, and possess more endurance than an ordinary person. Do you swear to use these skills judiciously, taking care not to harm those who were not as gifted as yourself, so long as that inaction does not betray your previous vows?"
"I do."
"Then, I command you to shed your old names and I name you from this day henceforth to the grave, Lady Elaine Honorine of Hamnet, Paladin of our Lord and king, protector of Vasconia and her people, the Bloody Healer, the Scarred Protector, wielder of the sword Oathbreaker. Rise now and take your place amongst your sisters."
Elaine rose to her feet, looking up past Eneas to Odilon. He gave her a smile and she finally felt some of the residual pain in her chest beginning to loosen its grasp.
Elaine had never lived in the Paladin's Suite before. She had taken a brief tour once, before she had taken her vows the first time, but back then she hadn't at all been in a position mentally to appreciate the splendor and comfort of her surroundings.
Returning now as an adult, after everything that had happened, she felt slightly awkward. The opulent halls that surrounded her as Sybille, the tactician of the paladins, escorted her through seemed almost intimidating where she stood.
She didn't find herself slowing, however, until they got to the hall wherein paintings of all the current paladins were hung. Seven canvases in total. Elaine's hung beside Felicie's, before Sybille's, having captured Elaine as she had been when she was younger.
The blue eyes were the same, but the long haired girl that looked down on the future Elaine with an unreadable expression was almost unrecognizable. Elaine found herself halting in place, staring up at herself with a strange twisting in her heart.
Her lack of footsteps made Sybille turned back. The other girl, wearing a full gown, looked at her askance as she gazed at her old portrait. The two faces of herself didn't even seem similar from afar.
"Are you all right, Elaine?" Sybille asked, her voice measured.
Elaine took in a breath and nodded. "Sorry, I just... I'm surprised it's still up."
"You're one of us, Elaine. That never changed." Sybille turned to the wall herself.
Elaine's eyes moved to Felicie's portrait, to the strange, oddly blurry aspect of the image, before she turned away.
"Sorry. Lead on."
Sybille cocked her eyebrow curiously but didn't ask as she turned to continue taking Elaine through the house, to the room that had been designated as her own.
It was getting late. After remaking her vows, Elaine had been taken to the Sacellum so that she could be bathed and attend a prayer service. Though she had wanted to stay and speak to Odilon, Eneas and Cyrille both agreed that washing herself clean of her past, and emerging into her future as a freed woman, was more important.
She was, however, given her doll back.
Cyrille had returned it to her as she was leaving and, though she had kept it safe from the water while bathing, Elaine hadn't let it out of her sight yet. She kept it cradled in her hands as Sybille walked her through the Suite, explaining where things were and how things operated.
The room that was given to her, near the back of the Suite, wasn't particularly large, but it did have a wide balcony from which she could clearly see the domed, glittering roof of the Sacellum in the Magnesium District below. A small fireplace in the corner had a little flame crackling merrily inside while a small spread of simple meats and cheeses had been put onto a low table set into a small depression in which she had been given two round couches. The bed was, by far, the largest piece of furniture, placed into an alcove on the side of the room.
However, what caught her immediate attention were the two large, locked chests - one of which held a knapsack - all sitting below rows of empty shelves.
"The key to your room." Sybille said, placing it down onto an end table by the door. "Odilon told me that you don't like people coming in and out of your room at will. The servants said that if you leave your door unlocked, they'll take it as a sign that it's okay to clean. If you keep if locked, they won't let themselves in."
Elaine looked from the key and back into the room. "It's rather... rich in here."
"This is actually one of the simpler rooms." Sybille shrugged. "Odilon said that you would prefer something more easily defensible though. There's nothing to climb up to your balcony and the windows don't face anywhere that can readily be seen and it's deep in the house so the likelihood of someone finding it is slim. Does it not suit?"
"Wha-? No. No, it's perfect. It's just..." Elaine turned, making an odd shrugging motion. "Odilon told you all of that?"
Sybille nodded once. "This is your home, Elaine. We want you to feel comfortable here. So, I took his suggestions. We have a dining room, but you'll find that we rarely use it. We're usually too busy. The others don't tend to be around much, they're usually out on duty, but I'm almost always here. If you need anything, feel free to ask."
Elaine shrugged, unsure of what to say. "Thanks, Sybille."
The other woman nodded once. "I have to get back to it. With you here again, and with spring coming, there's a lot planning to do."
"Sorry."
"Don't be." Sybille grinned. "This is the first time I've had real hope in a while. Your skills will be invaluable. I'm looking forward to using you. Oh. Forgive me. That was quite a rude way of phrasing it, wasn't it?"
Instead of being offended, Elaine laughed. "It was honest. I appreciate that. Thanks."
Sybille nodded. "Then, I'll let you get comfortable. Welcome back, Elaine."
Elaine gave her a grin that Sybille returned before leaving. Elaine then let out a long breath before walking over to the trunks. The keys of which were sitting in the knapsack. The smaller trunk was empty, just as she'd left it.
When she unlocked and opened the larger trunk, it was to find that her doll collection was just as immaculate as when she had last seen it. Each girl was on her cushion, not a hair out of place. Which told her that Odilon had been caring for the trunk since she had been in prison.
Lifting the old toy doll, she held it up over the trunk and compared her to the treasures that she already possessed. Her eyes moved upwards to the lines of empty shelves. All of them waiting to be filled. For her collection to be brought out into the light.
"You didn't shut the door."
She turned around to find Odilon standing in the open frame. He smiled at her as he walked inside. Before she could say anything, he had her wrapped up in his arms. Without thinking, she clung onto him, the familiar scent of rosewood tickling her nose pleasantly.
"You're warm..." She whispered in wonder.
Odilon squeezed her tighter, kissing the top of her head. "I've missed you. It's been torture not to be near you, knowing you were in prison."
"I was honestly asleep the whole time, so..."
He chuckled. "I know. I came to see you, but you were resting whenever I saw you. I didn't want to wake you without reason, so I would leave soon after. Still, do you know what it did to me to see you locked up that way?"
His smile faded as he thought back to it. Elaine, with her chest still trying to heal shut, laid out on a wooden slab in the dark and cold. It seemed wrong. No matter what he said against it, however, she couldn't be removed from the jail.
To see her exonerated, to know that she was free, finally lessened the pain in his heart he felt since he realized that Elaine had taken his chest wound.
He kissed her head again for good measure before finally pulling back. He didn't release her and she made no attempts to step from the circle of his arms.
"You took care of my dolls." She said, grinning. "Thank you."
"It was the least I could do." He shrugged. "I'm just glad you're all right. And back to your proper place. But, what made you change your mind?"
"Hm?"
"You were so insistent that you weren't a paladin. That you weren't one of us. Why did you suddenly agree to become one?"
Elaine rested her head down against his chest. "You're important to me."
He raised an eyebrow. "So much that you'd dedicate your life to one you've always disparaged before?"
"There was never anything attaching me to this place before. It was just a place that I lived. But, now I have you." She turned her eyes up to look at him. "I do have you, don't I?"
A grin spread over Odilon's face, but he said nothing.
Elaine's hands tightened onto his arms. "I'm sorry if what I did hurt you. That wasn't my intention. But, it really was important to me. I've got my doll back now, though, and there's nothing stopping me from giving myself to this life instead and I-"
He placed a finger to her lips, cutting off her nervous rant.
"Elaine, will you come with me somewhere?"
She frowned in confusion. "I suppose. But, where?"
"It's a bit of a ways from here, it will take us a couple days. I already asked Cyrille, he says that you can have a break before you're put to work."
"Oh..." Elaine blinked lamely, unsure of what to say.
"It's important to me." He whispered. "Will you come?"
It was a soft plea, but one that she couldn't ignore. She nodded once, hands tightening on him. "Okay. But, Odilon?"
"Hm?"
"Can we stay here tonight?" She bit her lip a bit nervously. "I... want you to hold me some more."
His face broke into a wide smile as he obligingly pulled her back into a tight embrace. They hadn't fully released one another, but it felt good to have his heart beating steadily in her ear. It reminded her that he was still alive and safe.
While Sybille adjusted her plans to make room for Elaine, and while the last of winter continued to cling to the land, Odilon took Elaine on a brief escape from the city. Riding aboard the Golden Crown - which had been returned to its previous life as an ordinary vessel for a rather extraordinary lord - Elaine was treated more like a queen than a paladin.
The trip was only two days long, but it was spent luxuriating with Odilon in ways that she had never allowed herself before. They wasted the mornings in bed, allowing him to hold her through the morning fog that would trap his brain. They feasted, allowing Elaine to gain back the weight she had lost since being in prison. Through the night, they would hold onto one another as though they might never let go again.
Elaine didn't worry about what would happen next. She didn't even particularly care where it was that they were going. She felt too acutely like she was his mistress, being taken on an excursion for the lord's pleasure, but she tried not to think of it overly much.
He wasn't bored of her yet, and he was kind enough that she honestly believed that he wasn't going to treat her like her father treated her mother. If this was the rest of her life, then being his mistress was just another vow she was destined to break.
The town that he took her to wasn't immediately recognizable. Bright and simple, it wasn't the kind of place that would attract a great deal of attention. Since Elaine hadn't been focused much further than the tips of Odilon's fingers, she couldn't even honestly say she even knew what direction that they had flown to reach this place.
As they were brought into dock, Elaine was getting dressed. Odilon said he wanted to take her somewhere, so she had to wear more than the robes and dressing gowns that she had been indulging in since boarding the ship.
The clothes Odilon provided for her were neither the baggy, shapeless affairs she had been wearing before, nor the pieced together outfits she had adopted since. Instead, he had prepared for her a proper wardrobe that included clothing actually made for her size.
The green coat with golden accents was stylish and distinctly feminine, especially in the way it accentuated her waist, while still being comfortable enough to move in. The long sleeves were familiar and comfortably loose without falling all over her hands. In looking at herself, she couldn't tell if she looked more like a boy or a girl, but she was comfortable in what she wore.
As she was running a brush through her hair, frowning at the image of herself in the mirror, Odilon opened the door to the room they had been sharing and grinned at the sight of her.
"Lovely." He admired, stepping forward. "That color looks good on you."
Elaine lowered the brush, reaching up to touch the strands of her hair. It was starting to get long.
"Should I cut them back?" She asked as he leaned over her, placing his head against her shoulder.
"Do you prefer it short?"
"I honestly never cared. I just cut it off so I wouldn't be recognizable."
"Then, do as you like." He kissed her neck. "I think you're beautiful either way."
"It would make it harder to confuse me for a boy."
He mumbled in agreement, lips trailing up over her ears.
"Then again, it would get in the way in battle."
"Also true." He nuzzled the side of her head. "You don't have to decide today. We're ready to disembark, if you're finished dressing."
Elaine nodded, hurriedly pushing the lengthening bangs from her face. She paused only a moment to pin them back, keeping them from falling into her eyes again, before she stood and followed after Odilon. He held out his arm to her and she took it without hesitation.
The town was alive and bustling with midday activity when the two of them stepped from the ship. The dockworkers were already preparing it to take off again because they wouldn't be able to stay for very long. Elaine had to get back so that she could begin planning defensive strategies to assist Colette in her front line offenses.
However, all of that seemed so far away in this bright little town. As Odilon walked her through, she would look around and admire the general feeling. It seemed so happy here. She didn't know where they were exactly, but she knew it had to be far from the front lines.
"What do you think?" Odilon asked, his eyes shifting to hers.
"It's nice. Are you opening a new shop here?"
"I already have one. It's down that way." He pointed to a street as they passed. "That's not why we're here though. I've something else to show you."
"Well, what is it?" Now that they were finally here, Elaine found herself actually curious about this surprise he was hiding. Not that she had been complete indifferent before, but she had been more focused on simply enjoying her time with him.
Odilon merely smiled at her question, leading her forward without hesitation. As he walked, however, he continued speaking.
"This is one of the smaller towns I do business in. At least, it was when I first opened my shop a couple years ago. That's how it usually goes, however. My stores are trading outlets. I don't just bring things in, I also ship them out, and, as it happens, this town is a great source of flowers."
"Flowers?" Elaine repeated, laughing.
"Indeed. Bright, beautiful red flowers, in fact." Odilon grinned. "There aren't any now, they bloom in late spring. They are, however, so bright and pigmented that they make excellent dyes. They're used in clothes, but most especially in cosmetics."
"Fascinating." Elaine grinned.
"Indeed. So, as a result of my shop opening here, they've been able to sell their dye all over the kingdom and, with that sort of wealth and economic demand comes a boom. This town was much smaller before my shop took up residence here."
"So, then, these people owe you their livelihood."
Odilon grinned. "They owe me nothing at all. I merely gave them a larger customer base to sell to. Their dyes and flowers are all their own."
"Is that what you wanted to show me?"
"No. That's just some information for you. What I want to show you, is right past here."
They took a turn in the road and came upon a small street with relatively few houses. It ended near a plain of grass that Elaine could tell someone kept cut rather short. She imagined that was more so it didn't overgrow into the town than aesthetics, though.
Odilon led her right down the street and into the grass. It was bright green, but well worn as though accustomed to people taking strolls or playing through it.
"Nice view." Elaine mumbled, looking around. "I still don't see anything though."
"That's because you're looking up. What I want to show you is there." He pointed forward, into the grass.
Elaine squinted ahead, scanning for whatever he was so interested.
The flash of light off of marble stone caught her eye as they stepped over a small ditch. The strangest sense of dread passed through Elaine's belly as they hopped the gap. She felt a frown begin to form as the feeling only deepened the closer they walked to the stone.
White granite or marble maybe, she couldn't be sure, formed a simple headstone in the grass. It was rounded on the edges, either purposefully or from time she couldn't tell, but the sharpness of the letters carved into the rock had not yet dulled.
Elaine felt her heart lodge into her throat as she read the name inscribed.
Flavie Honorine.
"Mama..." She whispered, a chill going through her body as they stopped walking.
Odilon said nothing, staring at her face as she struggled to think of something to say. Turning with wide eyes, she stuttered-
"D-Did you...?"
Odilon shook his head. "It wasn't me. I found it like this."
"How... When... I..." Elaine hesitant, unsure of what to say.
"Look on the other side." He prompted, pushing her gently.
Her feet felt disconnected from her body as she walked around. Without thinking, she read out loud-
"Here rests my beloved, but our dream will never die. -Reese."
Trembling, Elaine held onto herself.
"Your uncle, right?" Odilon asked, his voice soft. "I asked around to the people who lived here before. Reese Honorine lived here until the night of Blue Bird's attack. They say, that night, he lost the woman he loved and he buried her here. Afterwards, he left for Gwenael to find work."
"Uncle Reese..."
Odilon continued. "I've had my men looking for him in Gwenael. There's no word on him yet, but, before we do find him, I wanted to know whether or not you want to actually see him again. Or, maybe, the doll is enough of your past."
Elaine ran around her mother's headstone and threw her arms around Odilon's neck. He grabbed onto her, smiling gently.
"When did you find this?" She asked, voice muffled in his chest.
"While you were recovering. Since I couldn't see you, I thought I would find the town you came from. I wanted to know what happened to your family. I was shown this place."
"And, Uncle Reese?"
"I don't know if he's still in Gwenael, or even still alive, but if you want to meet him-"
"Yes." Elaine cut him off, her voice certain and strong. "If you find him, I mean... Yes."
Odilon nodded once, kissing her cheek. "Is this enough, then?"
She frowned as she leaned back from him, confused. "Enough?"
"Your past." He said, looking to the headstone. "You've been chasing it for some time, right? If I find Reese for you, will that be enough?"
"Odilon..." She murmured, surprised.
"You've found your father, your mother. Reese is the only one left. Is there anyone or anything I've missed?"
Elaine shook her head. "No. That's... That's all."
"Then, you'll have your doll, and you'll know what happened to your family after you left. Is there anything else you want, Elaine?"
"What I want?" She repeated incredulously.
Odilon stepped back, holding her hands. "I don't want you to have any regrets going forward through this life anymore. If you're a paladin, I want you to be a paladin."
"I can't run from it now."
"Not 'can't'. Elaine, I want you to want this life. And, not out of an obligation to a vow or even because of me. I want to make you happy."
"Happy?" She repeated as though the word were a foreign language.
"Happy." He nodded once, his voice firm. "There's more to life than just surviving, Elaine. I want you to thrive, to blossom. I want your happiness."
Elaine took in a staggered breath, nearly overwhelmed by the simple sincerity that she heard ringing in his tone and the sturdy reliability of his arms around her.
"I've... never felt like I belonged there." She admitted, her voice soft. "Ever since I first arrived, Gwenael always felt like a foreign country I was visiting. Like the life that I was leading wasn't even really mine. I was sure, for a long time, that there had been some kind of mistake."
"Even knowing your own power?"
"I was a child. I hadn't realized what I had done." Elaine turned from him, looking down to her mother's grave as the wind blew gently over the grassy field. "I was more focused on the fact that my mother was gone from me than anything."
"So, the first time you willingly used your power..." He prompted gently.
"They thought I might want to be a healer, so they took me to the medical college. It didn't take me long to realize what they were asking of me. And, that I didn't want to do it."
"Did they try to force you to continue?"
"No." She shook her head, turning back to face him. "Master just wanted me to understand and control my power, and there was no other way for me to practice."
"Still, that's rather harsh." Odilon frowned, shaking his head.
Elaine took in a breath, her head falling back as she looked to the sky.
"I gave it a lot of thought, you know."
He raised a curious brow but didn't to ask her to continue.
"I wondered if I was doing the right thing. I think because I knew that I wasn't. Rationally, I know it's stupid to risk so much over a doll, but..."
"Your heart simply wouldn't accept that excuse."
Elaine looked back down at him. "I loved my family, Odilon. I loved my father, and I loved my mother. I still love Uncle Reese, wherever he is. As much as I know that they're bad people and that they did bad things, I still loved them."
"You couldn't understand that as a child, Elaine." Odilon smiled at her. "You only know that those people loved you in return, and that was enough."
"If you all had stayed away like I warned you, things never would have happened the way they did. You might not ever have been hurt."
"Elaine, I'm fine." He promised, lifting her hands and pressing them against his chest. "Not a mark on me anywhere. Thanks to you."
"There was though, because of me." She hung her head sadly. "I suppose, then, that part of the reason I want to stay now is to make up for what I did. It was important to me, but I can at least acknowledge that none of you agreed to my decision."
"Very noble of you."
"Hardly. I also want to stay because, well, I am a paladin. I realized something when I saw you hurt. The truth of everything hit me like a flash of lightning. My power saves lives."
"Yes, I know."
"But, I didn't!" She pulled from him, throwing out her arms in amazement. "I was so focused on myself, on what I feel, that it never occurred to me to remember that what I was doing saved others. Rationally, I mean, I knew it, but it was never something that was real to me."
"Elaine?" Odilon gave her an odd look.
"I save lives. And, it's not clean or easy, but I can live through what others can't. I'm not a sword like the other paladins, I'm a shield, and the shield occasionally has to be broken to protect."
"You are not a shield." Odilon frowned. "I don't want to hear any of this, Elaine. I've already told you, I'm not going to see you rip yourself apart again."
"Believe me, it's not what I want either, but it is what I can do. If I can bear the burden of injuries by myself, then-"
"Absolutely not, Elaine! You are far too important to do that!"
"I'm a paladin, Odilon. Doing this is my job. It's what I just swore to do!"
"I will not stand aside and watch the woman I love destroy herself!"
His loud cry echoed out over the grassy field, stunning Elaine into silence. His hard face didn't appear to regret the outburst. If anything, her surprise only prompted him to continue.
"You're being selfish again, Elaine. Consider this from my side. I don't want to watch as you are broken apart and pieced together again like a human meat puzzle. You're precious to me." He reached out for her, his eyes swimming with barely restrained emotion. "Each wound you receive falls like a blow onto my own heart. Do you know what I went through when I woke and saw that you had taken on my stab wound? Do you know how much I feared you might never wake again?"
"Odilon-"
"I won't let you do that on purpose because you feel duty bound to it. Elaine!" He grabbed her hands, holding them beseechingly. "I want your happiness. I want you to feel fulfilled and joyful. I want to see your smile and hear you laugh. And, not sarcastically or sardonically. I want it from you with genuine honesty. Please."
Startled, she couldn't immediately think of anything to say in return. She stared at him through widened eyes, unprepared for the force of emotions he suddenly threw her way.
Without waiting for a comment from her, Odilon yanked her by the hands, pulling her into his arms and sealing her mouth with a rough and rather dominating kiss. Unprepared for the sudden force and desperation of the action, it was all Elaine could do to hold on and allow him to steal her breath with the consuming heat of his passion.
He called her name, his voice softer than his hands as they squeezed her tight.
Elaine was the one who had to break away, pushing herself back with a gasping breath. She couldn't fully escape his arms. They remained taut, clutching her close as Odilon looked down at her through serious and focused eyes.
"You are a paladin," he murmured, his voice rough. "I have no choice but to give you up to war and know that, at any moment, you could be lost to me."
"Odilon..." Her heart trembled in her chest as he gently rested his forehead down against hers. The contrast of harsh and sweet touches left her off balance.
"Do not make this harder on me by recklessly putting yourself into danger."
"If I can save their lives..." She started, licking at her lips. "I have to try. They have people they love, too. People that would feel the same things if they were to die."
"I know that." His grip tightened, squishing her against his chest. "You think I don't know that? You're not the only one who wants to be selfish."
Elaine smiled, resting her head down against him. "I'll be careful, Odilon. I'm not throwing myself into the paths of arrows or anything. But, if a man is dying that I can save, if it will only take me days to heal something that would cripple them for life, how can I say no?"
"Easily. No." Odilon's voice was petulant and unreasonable.
It reminded Elaine of how he acted in the morning. He didn't like waking up and doing so always made him more churlish and less inclined to listen to rational argument.
However, it was the first time she had seen the behavior from him in the middle of the day. When he was still in his nightclothes, his hair in disarray, it was almost expected.
But Odilon, dressed as a lord and looking every inch the most powerful, most attractive man in all of Vasconia, acting like a child not getting his way was so shocking that Elaine actually found herself chuckling at the sight.
His eyes narrowed on her. "What's so funny?"
"You are." She continued laughing, holding onto him for support. "I didn't realize someone as selfless and giving as you could be so irrational and unyielding about something so important."
Her laughed made him grin, though it was only the smallest upturning at the corner of his mouth. "You aren't the only one who has two sides, Elaine, and you will find that, when it comes to things that I consider important, I'm as unreasonably determined as you are. And, I don't care if you understand or not. I'm adamant on this."
She continued laughing, pulling back to smile into his eyes. "Thank you for caring, Odilon. Even if it is unreasonable, thank you."
"I mean it. Promise me, Elaine. Promise me now that if I let you go off to war, you're not going to needlessly put yourself in danger."
"Let me?" She grinned further, eyebrow rising.
"That promise is the only thing that will convince me to release you now." He held his head up tall. "If you strike me down, I will still hold onto you until I get that promise."
"You know that I'm a liar, Odilon."
"Funnily enough, I think you're one of the most honest people I've ever met." His expression relaxed, but his arms did not. "Promise me, Elaine."
She chuckled. "Very well. I promise, I won't do anything unnecessary and, if they can heal on their own, I will let that happen."
"I feel somehow unsatisfied." He made a face.
"Well, that's the best you're going to get in this regard, so don't get your hopes up."
"Oh?" He smirked, his eyes accepting the challenge. "In that case, I want another promise from you."
"You only asked for the one!" She wiggled in his arms, making the barest minimal effort to try escaping from his embrace.
"I'm thinking of something a bit more official and lasting."
Elaine paused, giving him an odd look. "Odilon?"
"Elaine, will you marry me?"
"What?!" She threw herself back as though electrocuted. The movement had been so sharp that he had no time to grab hold of her and she easily broke free.
Instead of being disturbed, he chuckled at her reaction.
"I can't tell if that was excited or dismayed."
"It was stunned! What do you mean, will I marry you?!"
"I didn't realize that question came with interpretation. I thought it to be rather straightforward." He took hold of her hand, grinning when she eyed the movement wearily. "I asked, Elaine, if you would marry me. I mean, as in matrimony."
"I know what it means!"
"Yet, you're still confused." He chuckled at her panicked reactions.
He supposed that, for anyone else, not having an immediate affirmative of the question would bring about some sense of concern or worry. However, he knew Elaine and he knew that look in her eyes. That scared, slightly embarrassed look that told him that he was getting close to her again in ways that she wasn't accustomed to experiencing.
If the answer had been no, she would have said so immediately. That she looked startled and amazed meant that it was far from a negative response.
"I want to marry you, Elaine." Odilon continued, kissing her knuckles.
The warmth of his lips made her heart beat in her throat and she had to swallow back the lump to fight the urge to either shove him away or kiss him again.
"If I have to send you off to war, I want to do so with the knowledge that you'll be coming home to me when you return."
"You're joking!"
"Of course, I'm not. I love you. I want to marry you."
"That's not..." Her words failed as her mouth opened and closed uselessly.
"I want to make you the lady of my house and my name. I want you to be the one who births my children that will carry on my legacy."
"I can't be a lady!" It was the most ridiculous thing she could think to protest, but it was also the only thing that she could spit out.
"You already are, my lady paladin." Odilon pulled on her gently, prompting her to come in closer.
She didn't resist, but he could feel her shaking as he enfolded her back into his arms.
"All I want from you is that promise." He murmured, kissing the top of her head. "The promise that you'll come back to me, that we'll have a life together, and that you'll let me spend the rest of my days making you happy."
"Odilon..." She lifted her gaze up to him, her hands tightening against you coat. She searched his face before whispering in amazement, "You actually mean it..."
"No other woman has ever held my heart as you have, Elaine. I find my greatest happiness just in holding you close and seeing you laugh. I've always been certain that I was going to live my life alone, and I was perfectly content with that.
"But, now I have you, and I can't imagine a world without you in it. That first day after you took my wound, I stayed up all night watching you to make sure that you never stopped breathing. If you had died then, I don't know if I could have handled it."
Elaine bit her lip, fighting back tears. As her eyes closed, trying to keep them at bay, he leaned down and kissed the trembling lids.
"I love you, Elaine, and I will spend all my life ensuring that you are happy and loved and that the home we build together is filled with laughter and joy. Leave your past behind and face your future with me, Elaine, and I promise you won't regret it."
Gasping, she pulled back to stare at him in shock.
"What?" He frowned at the reaction.
"You just...
"Hm?"
Shaking her head, she wrapped her arms around him. "Nothing."
"Elaine?"
"You really want me?" Her voice was soft, uncertain, but hopeful.
"I want no one else." His was firm and confident.
"I'm the daughter of a whore and a pirate."
"That has never bothered me before. You're a paladin, Elaine, regardless of where you're from or the roots that created you. "
"I thought..." Leaning back, she looked from him. "I thought it would be enough for me to accept being your mistress."
"My what?"
"I don't know! Powerful men keep mistresses, all right!" She blushed hotly.
"When have I ever given you that impression?" He shook his head in disbelief.
"You... Shut up!" Turning, she ducked her head low. "I just... didn't think that you would ever ask me to actually marry you. I thought... it would be enough if you kept me as your only mistress. I could be happy with that alone."
"Elaine..." Odilon took her face in hand. "How do you feel for me?"
"What?"
"You haven't told me. I want to know. Do you feel for me what I feel for you? I know you're capable of great love, Elaine, I've seen you display it. So...?"
She swallowed convulsively, biting down on her lip.
"Elaine?"
"Is it... all right?"
"Hm?"
"Is it all right for me to... love you?"
Her expression, so shy and uncertain, completely opposite to how she reacted in nearly any other situation, hit him like a sword to the chest. He grabbed hold of her.
"Please, love me, Elaine." He begged, kissing the side of her head. "Or, if you don't yet, let me try harder to win your heart. I would do anything for you. I would give you everything."
"Odilon..." Awed that someone as amazing as Odilon would beseech her so desperately made the tears she had been fighting against fall.
"Your answer, Elaine?"
Shaking, she nodded. "I do, Odilon. I do love you. And I want to marry you. And I want a happy, stable home and a happy, normal family. I want all of it!"
"Then, it's yours." He took hold of her face, bringing her in for a kiss that warmed her down to the tips of her toes, blowing away all the indecision, the confusion, and the uncertainty.
War was still ahead of them, and Elaine knew that she would return to combat to protect this man and the promise of their dream.
But the words written on her mother's grave by a man that loved her as a daughter filled her with hope.
Our dream will never die.