( Schattenkrieger and sassiechicka )

[sassiechicka]

Desirae looked at Vincent then at the cookie. She couldn't believe she was just throwing everything out for a man. He wasn't a boy in her eyes but truly a man. She couldn't help but look at him. She just was in awe that he would remotely want her as a companion.

" I just put them in the oven. You mixed the batter. So they're your cookies not mine. "

Desirae was already falling for him. She didn't know how or why but this felt right. She could tell something was bothering him, but she couldn't just ask him could she.

" You seem bothered by something. There anything I can do to help with your problem? "  

[Dante Rosaire]

Vincent hadn't realized that Desirae had caught onto his unease. Apparently she was more observant than he thought. He had always been very careful when it came to hiding his emotions, especially around women. He wouldn't admit the real reason of his unease, the feeling of familiarity with her was starting to really bother him. He couldn't compartmentalize anymore, he could have sworn that he had met before, but he still couldn't put his finger on it. But he had to come up with something to stop her inquiry.

"It's just, if you decide to come with me, i'm wondering where we would go. I guess i'm getting ahead of myself. I'm so used to travelling alone, the thought of a companion seemed exciting. Wandering around the world bringing criminals to justice isn't all it's cracked up to be. That's why i'm glad I met you. You showed me there's more to life, like I don't have to be the lone wolf anymore."  

[sassiechicka]

Desirae smiled and figured if he wanted her to really know t hat he would say. So it was best to just drop it.

" I traveled on my own to here. It was the closest to... "

Desirae didn't want to say anything beyond that. It was her secret and no one was going to get it out of her. She turned away from him so he couldn't see her face. If she gave away too much then that would be the end of what they were working towards.  

[Dante Rosaire]

"So you used to be on your own too?" he asked her, "Then at least someone can understand."

There was a momentary lapse in their conversation. It was as if there was some sort of barrier that was in the middle of the two of them. Vincent could tell that Desirae was about to say something, but for whatever reason she cut herself off in mid-sentence. And he was unwilling to admit the real reason why he had been feeling so uneasy. Because if Vincent were to open up and explain things to her, he just knew that she would kick him out and he would be right back where he started. So while he was trying to think of something else to say, his eyes began to drift around the room. His eyes quickly passing over the few paintings Desirae has hanging on her walls, a vase in the far corner, but one thing eventually caught his attention. It was a bow, sitting behind the couch as if an attempt was made to hide it. Upon further inspection, there was a quiver sitting next to it. His curiosity had officially been piqued.

"You never told me you knew archery." he said as he looked back at her with a smile.

"I knew there was more to you than meets the eye."  

[sassiechicka]

Desirae blushed and tried to turn his attention to other things. She smiled sweetly.

" Would you like another cookie? I never could turn down good cookies. "

Desirae wasn't quite sure how to bring up her training with a bow. It was the only thing in her homeland that women were allowed to do with her status.

" The bow my father gave to me. Back in my homeland, it was the only suitable activity for a woman. Most weren't allowed swords or anything on that nature. Too dangerous is what I was told. "

Desirae hoped he'd let the topic drop with the mention that women weren't permitted much to do.  

[Dante Rosaire]

Vincent started to become disgusted with all this sexism he had been seeing lately. He could never understand the logic behind it, it seemed like such an archaic way of thinking.

"Uggh, I just can't understand sexism," he began. "I just can't follow the logic. Women are just as capable of being warriors as men are. One human life is equal in value to any other, no more no less. Women have done nothing to deserve this inferior treatment. If anything, women should be revered. Women make life, we would not exist if it were not for woman. Women are beauty personified...you are beauty personified."

His voice quieted down as he added that last part, it was like he realized what he was saying too late, his face turned bright red, he had never in his entire life acted like this around a girl.

"But just listen to me, i'm just rambling now. I'm sorry, so what made you decide to strike out on your own? Surely there are people back home who miss you."  

[sassiechicka]

Desirae blushed as she caught on to what he last said. She turned away from him so that he wouldn't see her blushing. She didn't quite know what to think of it. So she guessed she could answer his last question.

" Uh um. I didn't want the life anymore. There is no life in a forced marriage. "

Desirae had already said too much. She had let out her secret without even meaning to. She closed her eyes trying to pretend she never said. She only hoped he hadn't paid that much attention to what she said. It would give away her entire past...one that she wished to forget. She paused for a second.

" So I guess my secret is out about my past. Since my secret is out, you can say your secret now, Vincent. "

She didn't know how he would take to it. She hoped that he would give her more insight to himself. She had already said too much.  

[Dante Rosaire]

Vincent was utterly surprised and shocked at this new development, he began to feel a creeping dread that things might take a turn for the worst. He now knew why Desirae had seemed so familiar to him, she was the princess that he was supposed to marry back in his homeland. The one he had loved, but she had never approved of him. One of the real reasons why Vincent had left his home and turned to a life of solitude. A lump now formed in his throat as he tried to find words to speak.

"I suppose it's only fair." he began. "It's an odd coincidence, but I was supposed to marry someone back when I lived in my homeland. She was a princess, and a very lovely one at that. I held her in very high regard, but apparently she didn't approve of me. One day, while visiting her kingdom, I had overheard her talking with some of her maidens, they were all saying how I wasn't right for her, that she didn't like me, and that I shouldn't bother her anymore. I was devastated, so I returned home in shame. I decided to give up the royal life of a prince for a life of solitude. The only regret I have is that I was never able to figure out why she rejected me, she never gave me an explanation. But as for my secret..." He took a deep breath before continuing.

"The entire time I've seen you in this place, I had the feeling that I had met you before, the sense of familiarity was only faint at first, but its been getting stronger and stronger. I didn't want to say anything because I knew if I did, you would find out about my past and I was afraid you would reject me. But now I know where that sense of familiarity comes from."

A strange wave of sadness and bitterness washed over him.

"You were the princess I was supposed to marry, you were the princess who I loved. And now I know I shouldn't have said anything. Now you're going to reject me a second time it seems."

The lump in his throat got larger as his mind began to fall apart. The only thing he could think to do was leave, and get as far away as possible. He was in the process of walking out the door when something hit him, he had to know why, he had to, before he left he had to know. So he turned around slowly.

"Before I go, I just want to know one thing, why? Why did you turn me away? Why was I not good enough?"  

[sassiechicka]

Desirae collapsed onto the floor. She landed with a thud. She looked up at Vincent. She looked on the verge of tears.

" I'm sorry. I didn't think I was good enough for you. My sisters and friends were telling me that you wouldn't have just me. They said that you would find others after you had an heir. I had to just walk away. I couldn't bear anyone else with you. "

She gritted her teeth as she finish what she had apparently started.

" Vincent, I love you. Can we start over? Can we be together like it was supposed to be? "

Desirae stayed on the floor. She figured it would serve her right if he walked away and rejected her. She waited patiently on him to just walk out her door. She started to cry even more. He could tell she was crying because when she cried her whole body shook.  

[Dante Rosaire]

"...wait, you weren't one of the ones who said those things?" he asked dumbfounded. His mind was trying to process this new information.

This whole time, he had thought that Desirae had said that he wasn't good enough for her, that he was no good at all. All this time he had been wrong.

"I thought this whole time that you had rejected me, they made it sound like you agreed with them, I was devastated. But if you had loved me all along, then this changes everything."

But then he noticed that she was crying, he couldn't stand seeing a woman cry, especially Desirae. He immediately walked back over to where she was. He knelt down beside her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Those women don't know what they're talking about, I would never leave you, let alone for someone else. You were the only one I ever loved, the whole reason I went out on my own was I thought that time away from my royal life would help me figure out what made me unworthy of you."

He then used his other hand to wipe the tears off of her face.

"Don't cry Desirae, there's no reason to cry. I love you, and only you. We don't need to start over because we're exactly where we need to be. We have our whole lives ahead of us now, many adventures await us now that we're on our own."

He slowly moved in and kissed her on the cheek.  

[sassiechicka]

Desirae stopped crying and looked at him. She blushed when he kissed her cheek.

" I kept telling myself that they were wrong. Then before I had a chance to discuss things with you. Your father told me to give up that you had already run off and he didn't know where you were. I shut myself off and it displeased my father. He had kept lining up suitors for me, but I wouldn't have them. I locked myself in my room then I got the idea to run off since daddy wasn't happy with me. So I found this place and started in with the doctor. I love you. Can we have that life we wanted with each other? "

Desirae leaned in and softly kissed him on the lips. She smiled as she remembered their first kiss.

" My love, do you remember our first kiss? "  

[Dante Rosaire]

Vincent was in mid-thought, still trying to process all of these new developments, when Desirae kissed him on the cheek. Before Desirae even asked, he was immediately taken back to their first kiss.

"Sure I remember, It was back a few years ago when we were younger, it almost seems like a different time now. The two of us were walking through the Ardenne Forest on one of the little walks we used to take. We had decided to go in a little deeper than we usually had. We were starting to get lost when a wolf crossed our path. It tried to attack us, but I had my sword and I was able to fend it off, but not before it bit me. I hadn't even noticed at first, I was more concerned with your safety than mine. You had to point it out to me." Vincent couldn't help but laugh at the memory.

"You started freaking out and scrambled for something to wrap it up with. Just like I do now, back then my face turned bright red whenever you got close to me. You were bandaging my wound, and then...it just sort of happened."

Even remembering it now, his face turned a little red.

"I guess i'm still not used to being around such a beautiful girl. Is that about right?" he asked in a playful tone.  

[sassiechicka]

Desirae blushed. He did remember their first kiss. It was sweet that he would remember the little things that made her heart skip a beat.

" I'm kinda surprised you remember. I"m sure on the inside you were laughing at how silly I was being over a wolf. I was really scared. I had only heard of a wolf, but I hadn't seen one until that day. "

Desirae stopped and kissed him softly on the lips. She wanted to feel the magic between them. Love was everything to her.

" We were so young and in love. I don't know why I ever let anyone talk me out of trying to be anything with you. Do you forgive me, Vincent? "

Desirae stayed close to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck. She wished to always be touching him. She wondered if he even remotely felt the same. She remembered back then he had always held her hand. Parting had always been the hardest part, but she had known that he'd always come back until the one day they had a date. She had cried so much that day when she had found out he had run off. It was the worst day in her life. She only hoped that they could be together now.  

[Dante Rosaire]

Vincent didn't have to think for too long about his answer. He could barely think at all with Desirae's arms wrapped around him. For a few moments he was transported back in time to when the two of them had been close. Life had been so much simpler back then. But he quickly snapped back to reality long enough to give her a reply.

"Well there's nothing really to forgive, the words of others spoke badly of me, not yours. There's nothing to be sorry for, there's only things to look forward to. So there's no more reason for sadness and bitterness."

And as he finished talking, a wave of bliss seemed to fall over him. The cold heart of the bounty hunter had, for at least the moment, been melted and replaced with the child that grew up with Desirae.

"We're going to have to get up sometime, although if you keep this up I may never want to." he added with a playful smile.  

[sassiechicka]

Desirae smiled as she kept her arms around his neck. She enjoyed having this power over Vincent.

" Yeah, but if I had followed my own heart. Then we could have still had our crowns and possibly a little one. "

Desirae blushed at the mention of a little one. She had always waited patiently on that part of their relationship.

" I...I...I love you. "

She had said it. She wondered if he would even bother saying it back. She kept her arms around him. She was never letting him go again. He was stuck with her.