Disclaimer: I wished I owned Squaresoft. I really wished I owned
Squall. But, unfortunately, I don't own either. So don't sue me. If you
do, all you're getting is some pocket lint and a few pennies.
Chapter 1
The palace was stretched over miles and miles of land. It was built of light gray stone that glittered in the sunlight. It had green fields, crystal clear rivers, and thick forests to contrast its bustling square and tall, looming towers.
The square was located in the center of all the other buildings and was decorated with fountains and beautiful flowers. This was where most of the social activities took place. There, and at the banquet hall.
Across the square from the front building, was Emperor Caraway's wing of the palace. This is where his rooms were located.
Behind it was a tall tower that rose high above the rest of the palace. This is where Princess Rinoa had her rooms.
Over bridges located on eith side of the square were long, rectangular buildings where the public and guest bed rooms were.
At the far ends of these buildings were staircases that twisted in a beautiful maze and eventually led to long, arched bridges that led over glistenening rivers to Rinoa's garden, which surrounded her tower.
Per haps one of the most appealing things about the palace, or perhaps one of the most awful, depending on your point of view, was that the entire land was enclosed by a tall wall. To some, it gave a feeling of security. To the young, beautiful Princess Rinoa, it gave a feeling of imprisonment.
That day, in the square, there was more hustle and bustle than usual. The staff of the palace was busy getting ready for a grand celebration that would take place that evening. It was the engagement party of Princess Rinoa and Sir Seifer Almasy.
As Rinoa stood in the sewing room of her tower, allowing the seamstresses to add the finishing touches to her dress, she struggled to fight back the tears that were threatening to spill over.
"Princess," one of her servants said. "Your father is here."
Rinoa bit her lip. He wasn't going to make this easy on her, was he?
"Rinoa!" her father said as he entered. "I just came to see how your dress for the evening was coming along. You must look your best. Not only for Sir Almasy, but also for the other guests that will be here."
"Emperor," Rinoa began. "I need to speak to you. In private."
"Very well, then," he replied and dismissed the seamstresses from their work. Once they left, Emperor Caraway said, "I know what you're going to say, Rinoa. I've already told you that it makes no difference. Sir Almasy is a good match for you. He can give you the discipline you need. And he comes from a powerful family. It's a good political marriage."
"I hate you!" Rinoa shouted. "You don't give a damn about what I want! I can't stand Seifer Almasy! You know that. Why must you do this to me?!"
"Because I love you and I want what's best for you. Almasy is an excellent warrior and very rich. You should be happy."
"He treats me as if I'm on a lower level than him just because I'm female."
Caraway laughed. "Yes, well, I see he has a proper mind set. It will do you goo to be his wife. It will put you in your place."
Rinoa narrowed her eyes and stepped down from the stool where she had stood and crossed the room to stare directly into her father's eyes.
"And what would you do if I ran away?" she asked in a low, menacing voice. "What would that do to your precious image?"
"If you ran away, I would send every warrior I have out to find you, and would not rest until you were back here and married to Almasy."
"I hate you," she repeated.
"I know. But do you really think I care?"
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(I need to get out of here) Rinoa thought as she watched the couples dancing across the square. She was supposed to be out there dancing with Seifer, but he was busy flirting with all the single women he came across. She didn't mind. So long as he left her alone.
She spotted her father heading toward her with a group of people, and quickly ran the other way. She hated to talk to her father's boring political acquaintences.
She climbed the staircases until she reached the bridge leading to her tower. When she came to a stop, she realized there was already someone standing there. A man dressed in dark clothes with untidy brown hair stood with his back to her. At the sound of her approaching footsteps, he turned to face her.
"Oh, I'm sorry," she said to him. "I didn't realize there was someone already here."
"It's alright," he said in a low, smooth voice that sent chills up her spine.
She edged closer to him and glanced up at the shining stars and full moon above.
"It's a beautiful night, isn't it?" she said casually.
"I guess you could say that."
A few moments stretched on in agonizing silence before Rinoa finally said. "So. I guess you're not the talkative type."
".........."
She laughed. "Yep. That confirms it. So. Wanna dance?"
"Don't know how."
"That's a shame," she replied. "I guess you never take your..... girlfriend out dancing?"
".....I don't have a girlfriend."
Rinoa struggled to hide the grin that was beginning to grace her features. Then it occured to her that he might have wife.
"Oh, I see. What about your wife, then? She doesn't mind that you can't dance?"
He seemed not to notice that she was prying for information. "......I don't have a wife either."
She grinned. "I see. That's a bit surprising."
"Why?"
"You just seemed like the type of guy that would have girls falling all over him," she said while taking in his features.
He just shrugged and turned away to hide his blush. "If you say so."
She smiled. "Maybe I can teach you how to dance. That way you won't dissapoint your future girlfriend or wife."
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Well, you're going to whether you like it or not," she said determindly as she took his hand and put it on her waist, and took his other in her own.
"I'm not doing this," he said, but made not attempt to pull away.
Her grin widened as she said, "Yes. You are."
She then began doing the movements of the dance, spinning and twisting in perfect rhythm to the distant music.
The dance ended up with her dipped in his arms and their lips just centimeters apart.
"You lied. You can dance," she said in a soft whisper, her lips brushing his with every movement.
"So?" he asked as a slight tremor ran through him at the contact between them. He had never been so close to anyone before.
She didn't answer. Instead she closed the small gap between them.
He wanted to pull away. His mind was begging him to. But the softness of her lips against his was a far greater feeling than he could've ever expected. He couldn't bring himself to pull away.
Suddenly, fireworks erupted overhead, disturbing them from their kiss.
"Oh no!" Rinoa exclaimed and broke away from his embrace. "I'm sorry. It was...um ..... nice meeting you! I.... have to go."
With that, she gave a quick wave and ran from the bridge back to the square.
He watched her as she left, then, shaking his head, turned back to the river underneath the bridge.
Sometime later, as the party was winding down, he left the bridge and walked back to the square where he spotted someone he was looking for. He was dancing with a girl with a pigtail.
"Zell," he called to him. "It's almost time."
The short blonde man bid the girl farewell, and walked up to him.
"Where's Irvine?" he asked.
Zell grinned. "You know Irvine. He's got some woman he's making out with in the banquet hall."
He rolled his eyes. "Well, go get him. We're making our move soon."
Zell gave a salute. "Yessir! By the way. D'ya meet anyone special? You know. Like a girl?"
"That's none of your business."
Zell shook his head. "Squall, man. We were supposed to have fun and losen up at this party before we had to complete our mission. I don't guess you've ever done such a thing though, right? I mean, exactly how far up your ass is that stick?"
"Zell?"
"Yeah, Squall?"
"Do you value your head?"
"Point taken. I guess I'll go get Irvine, now."
"Good."
About ten minutes later, the three men were gather in front of the tower.
"So this is it? We're going for it?" Irvine asked.
Squall nodded. "Yeah. Let's get some where that we won't be spotted so easily. I don't think the Princess is here yet, but she should be along shortly. It wouldn't do for us to be standing out here like idiots, now would it?"
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After the party, Rinoa stumbled off to her tower, tired and worn. The fireworks had been an idication that it was time for the formalities to begin. All the toasts and well-wishings to the "happy" new couple.
Not once that night did she see that man from the bridge again. She wished she had. She also wished she had asked him his name.
As she approached the entrance of her tower, she saw Seifer standing there as if he was waiting for her.
"What are you doing here?" she asked him.
He frowned at her. "I saw you with that man. On the bridge. I saw you kiss him."
"So what's it to you?" she asked in a challenging tone.
He grabbed her roughly by her upper arm and slammed her against the wall of the tower.
"You listen to me and listen good. I am your fiance. That means you are to respect me and obey me. You will not make a fool out of me! Understood?! You will remain faithful to me!"
"And what of your faithfulness? You think I don't know that you're ready and willing to fuck any short-skirted floozy that walks by?" she shot back as she winced in pain from his nails digging into her arm.
"It doesn't matter what I do. Or who or how many I sleep with. I will do as I please. And you are not to say a word. Understood?"
"I hate you!" Rinoa hissed and slapped him across the face with her free hand.
He let go of her arm and slapped her across the face so hard she fell to the ground. "You're not a princess. You're spoiled little whore. You ever hit me again, and I'll get my Gunblade after you."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Rinoa to pick herself up off the ground and stumble off to her room.
"Man, that was harsh," Zell whispered from his hiding place behind a rose bush.
They were close enough that they had witnessed the scene and heard the harsh conversation, but not close enough to see the Princess's face or features.
"No kidding," Irvine replied. "I didn't think you could treat the Princess like that."
"Eough!" Squall said as he saw the light in her room go off. "It's time."
"Good luck, Squall," Zell said as Squall moved from behind the bushes.
Squall scaled the side of the tower until he got to the balcony outside of the Princess's room. When he got there, he hid aroung the side and peeked in through the white sheer curtains that hung from the top of the balcony. No one was there.
He was a bit confused at first, but then he saw the light coming out from beneath a door in her room, and figured she was probably in the bathroom or something. He would just have to wait.
When, at last, she entered the room again, she was covered only by a towel. The water clinging to her body glistened in the moon light, which was the only source of light in the room.
As she crossed the room, her towel fell open and fluttered to the ground. Squall quickly averted his eyes, but not before getting an eyeful.
He felt his cheeks grow hot, and the image flashed repeatedly through his mind, against his will. Not that he minded.
When he looked up again, she was dressed in a short, white satin nightgown with a sheer robe over it. She had turned on a dim lamp and was sitting at a vanity brushing her hair.
Squall turned away again, feeling a wave of nervousness rise in him. This was the first time he had ever done this type of thing.
He heard a soft click and turned to see that the lamp had been turned off. She was now crossing the room to her bed.
Squall took a deep breath, and cautiously snuck into the room, trying to be as quiet as possible.
He grabbed her around the waist with one arm from behind, and clamped his other hand over her mouth, muffling her scream. She bit down on his hand, but was dissapointed to taste leather instead of blood.
Squall shoved a gag in her mouth and bound her wrists with a rope as he moved her toward the back door. On the other side of it, was a small balcony. He opened the door and looked over the edge to see Irvine standing uneasily on the ground below, waiting there as planned.
Squall picked her up in her arms and jumped to the roof of the porch below. He then tossed her down to Irvine, who caught her, and waited for Squall to jump down.
Once everyone was safe and secure on the ground, Irvine whistled and Zell came around from the front where he had been watching out for anyone approaching. The three men, and the captured princess then fled to the forest behind the tower. They traveled through the forest until the came to a large wall.
This wall was the one that enclosed the palace. The one that kept out the rest of the world. Most people had seen the world, and didn't like what it had to offer, and so were glad for the wall. But Rinoa had never been outside of that wall. She had never been allowed to experience the real world, though she had always longed to. Despite her unfortunate posisition, she still felt a wave of satisfaction swell in her at finally being able to go outside that dreaded wall.
On the other side of it, an empty carriage was waiting for them. Squall, who had been carrying Rinoa, opened the door, shoved her inside, and got in after her. Zell and Irvine took over the job of driving.
Once Squall knew they were safe and moving, he turned back to the Princess who he was now seeing for the first time in light. He was quite surprised to find that it was the same girl that he had danced with on the bridge.
"It's you!" he exclaimed as he removed her gag.
"No shit," she replied angrily. "Who the hell did you think I was?!"
"I didn't know you were Princess Rinoa," he said.
She shook her head in exasperation. "Didn't you pay any attention to anything at the party?"
"I was on that bridge for most of the party," he exclaimed. "I'm sorry, but your father's parties are extremely boring. Parties aren't my thing anyway."
Rinoa laughed. "Well, you do have a point about my father's parties."
"You can laugh even when you're being kidnapped?"
She shrugged. "Why not? I mean, you guys aren't planning to kill me are you?"
He shook his head. "No. We didn't kidnap you just for the hell of it, you know. We're only mercenaries. We were hired."
"By who?"
"Your father's worst enemy. Emperor Chu Yun."
Rinoa's jaw dropped. Maybe these guys didn't plan to hurt her, but Emperor Chu Yun was not known for his kindness. Especially not with his enemies. Her mother's dark fate was a good example. She had been captured once when the palace was attacked. She was taken away to Chu Yun's palace and totured for all the military information she had. Once they had gotten all from her that they could, they killed her and placed her head one a spike lining the palace wall in a cruel example of Chu Yun' power.
At the memory of this, Rinoa shut her eyes tightly and tried to fight the tears that were threatening to overtake her.
"From one hell to another," she muttered.
Squall frowned. "We're not going to hurt you."
"I know," she said, her voice cracking. "But he will. Just like my mother."
Squall sighed and looked out the window. He couldn't watch her cry like that. He might start to feel sympathetic. He realized he had fallen into a difficult situation. He had never been the ruthless type. He could never bring himself to slaughter innocent women and children and not think twice about, like most men in his profession. It wouldn't be easy for him to deliver this girl to Chu Yun, for he knew what her fate would be. So he decided he'd just try not to think about it, and keep himself at a distance. But he'd met this girl, already. He'd danced with her. Even kissed her. This was going to be harder than he thought.
"How much is he paying you?" Rinoa asked suddenly.
"Plenty," he replied, still not looking at her.
She nodded, "That's good. Put lots of food on the table. Glad to hear that. I suppose all that gil will make it worth while, huh?"
"What do you mean?"
"Kidnapping me, giving me to some ruthless tyrant like Chu Yun. The gil justifies it, right?"
"It's my job. It's what I do. Who are you to say what's right and wrong? Just because you're a princess doesn't mean you have a right to judge other people's morals."
She narrowed her eyes. "In this case, I feel I have everyright in the world to judge. I'm the one being kidnapped after all."
"Whatever," he grumbled and returned to looking out the window.
"Think you can get off that easy? Well, you're going to be stuck with me for a while, and rest assured, I won't hesitate to tell you what I think of you."
"Look," he began angrily. "Maybe when you were in your palace, it was alright to be a spoiled little brat. But I'm not going to tolerate it. You might as well just shut your mouth and enjoy your final days."
Rinoa turned away then, feeling the tears again. This was awful. Absolutely terrible. She thought maybe she could reach him. But it was obvious that he had no heart.
"I'm sorry," he said in a softer tone.
She shook her head. "Forget it. I don't expect a mercenary to take pity on me. Just leave me alone for the rest of the trip."
"Fine by me," he replied coldly.
Sometime later, after Rinoa had fallen asleep, the carriage came to a stop. Rinoa opened her eyes slowly and looked around. Squall was still awake, and still staring out the window.
He turned to her and said, "We've reached camp. Let's get out."
She didn't speak a word to him, even as he helped her out of the carriage. Not even when he tied the rope around her wrists again. Instead she focused on her new surroundings. They were in the middle of a forest. There were a few other people there, who had set up tents and built a large fire.
As he pushed her gently along, a young woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes approached them. She had three small hoop earrings in each ear, and a deck of tarot cards in her hand. She was obviously a gypsy.
"Hey there, Squall," she said in a flirtatious voice while she smiled sweetly. "How are things going?"
"Fine, Quistis," he answered then shoved Rinoa lightly toward her. "Please let her borrow some of your clothes. She'll freeze to death in what she's wearing."
"Anything for you," she replied and pushed Rinoa toward one of the tents.
The tent was rather empty, with only a small pile of blankets for a bed, a small table with a crystal ball, and a trunk full of clothes and weapons. Quistis opened the trunk and started digging through it until she had produced a long, satin, midnight blue skirt, a white, lacey shirt, and a red shawl with a pair of worn, scuffed brown boots.
She handed the pile of clothes to Rinoa and untied the ropes from around her wrist.
"Now, I'm gonna go stand right outside this tent while you get dressed," she said. "But first, I need to tell you something very important." Suddenly her tone became threatening as she said, "You had better stay away from Squall. He's mine, you hear?"
Rinoa laughed. "If you say so."
Quistis sneered down at her. "I mean it, you little brat! I saw the way he was looking at you. You may be some pretty, young little princess, but he's mine! He loves ME, even if he doesn't know it yet."
Rinoa was still stuck on the first part. "What do you mean, the way he was looking at me?"
"He's mine. You better not cause any trouble. I'll put a curse on your pretty little head that will carry down to your great, great grandkids. Got it?"
Rinoa nodded and resisted the urge to laugh again. "I got it. You can have. I sure as hell don't want him."
Quistis smiled sincerely. "Good to see we have an understanding. Sorry I had to be so mean, but I gotta protect what's mine, you know. Lots of women are after him. Can't blame them, though."
"Yeah, he does look very handsome, if you don't mind my saying so. He's just the most cold, heartless, uptight man I've ever met."
"Amen sister!" Quistis said with a laugh. "Now, I'll leave you alone to get dressed. Just come out when you're ready."
"Alright," Rinoa replied. "Thanks."
Rinoa dressed quickly, trying to ignore the fact that the clothes were a bit too big for her. Quistis several inches taller than her and had bigger feet than she did.
As she was putting on one of the boots, she felt something cold and hard hit her foot. She reached her hand into the boot and pulled out a small but sharp folded knife. She examined it for a moment then put it back in the boot and stuck her foot in. She decided that the knife would come in handy. She could use it to escape late that night. And the boot was big enough that she could keep it in there without it hurting her foot.
A few moments later, Rinoa came out. She had to admit, it was getting very cold, and she felt a lot warmer in Quistis's clothes.
"Well, they're a bit big on you, but definately not bad," Quistis commented.
At that moment, Squall walked up to them. "Good. You're properly dressed," he commented. "It wouldn't do for you to catch something and die before we get to Chu Yun's palace."
He knew saying that would make her angry. That's why he said it. She didn't say a word to him. She didn't even look at him. But he could see it in her eyes that he had gotten to her. He felt a slight satisfaction at knowing this.
He took her by the shoulders and began to shove her toward a different tent. This tent was empty, save a few blankets on the floor. Squall forced her onto her knees on the blankets and tied her wrists to her ankles.
(Perfect) Rinoa thought with a grin.
Squall noticed the grin on her face and took a couple steps back to look at her. "Is something funny about this?" he asked.
She didn't answer, and didn't look at him.
"Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?"
No reply.
"Suit yourself." He shrugged and started to walk out of the tent. "Get some sleep. It will be a long day tomorrow," he said over his shoulder.
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Several hours later, Rinoa awoke in the big, dark tent. She hadn't meant to go to sleep, but it had been such a tiring day, that she couldn't help it. At least she still had some time before the sun rose to escape.
She slipped the boot of her foot and turned it over so that the knife fell out. She lowered her hand to the ground and felt around until she found the knife. She flipped the blade out and cut through the rope, freeing her wrists.
She stood for the first time in hours, and stretched out her sore arms and legs. She figured her captor had known what kind of pain that position would out her in that morning and had done it on purpose. She cursed him mentally as she peeked out from the tent's flap to see that the camp was quiet, and obviously sleeping.
She snuck out and looked around. The coast was clear.
Rinoa noticed that the sky was becoming lighter by the second. The sun would be up soon. She had to hurry. But what could she do? Certainly, he would check up on her that morning, and discover her missing. He would send search parties out to find her. Just like her father. She couldn't outrun him. Or could she?
The carriage was still parked in the same spot where it had come to a stop last night. It couldn't be too hard to drive a carriage, could it?
She climbed up onto the front and took the reins in her hands. She didn't have much experience with horses, but once again, how hard could it possible be?
She flicked the reins, slapping the horse across the back, and he started moving forward, at a very fast speed. She was jolted back, unprepared for the speed. But at least she was getting somewhere.
As she traveled along the path, she realized that path would eventually lead to Chu Yun's palace. She definately didn't want to go there, so she headed off the path and deeper into the forest. She didn't know where she was going, and she didn't care. She just didn't want to go home or to Chu Yun's palace. She saw this as an oppurtunity to gain the freedom she had always longed for.
The deeper she went into the forest, the more unstable the terrain became. She soon found herself on a path that twisted up the height of a small mountain. This is where everything went wrong.
The horse was still moving at a fast pace despite the length of time he'd been traveling. In fact, he was barely getting around the curves without going over the edge and falling into the river far below.
Rinoa didn't know how to stop him. She had tried everything she could think of, but it all just seemed to make him move faster.
The higher the got on the mountain, the narrower the path got. As they headed around another curve, the wheels on one side of the carriage slipped of the path and were hanging off the edge, slowly taking the rest of the carriage with it.
Rinoa screamed and pulled the reins to the opposite side as hard as she could. The horse jerked in that direction, causing the carriage to slam into the side of the mountain and break open.
The loud noice scared the horse and caused him to rear up, throwing Rinoa off. She fell and rolled right off the edge. She held on for dear life with one arm. Her other one clawed at the side of the mountain, unable to find something to hold on to.
A few moments passed and she wondered how she would ever survive as she looked down at the raging river below her. She was completely alone, save the horse, and it wasn't likely he could save her.
Her life started to flash before her eyes, but was cut short when she felt a hand grab on to her own.
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A/N: Well, there's the first chapter. What do you think? Does it totally suck? I hope not. Anyway, please R&R! My self-esteem is gotten very low lately due to the small number of reviews for my other story, Relfections of Reality. Hope you enjoyed!
Chapter 1
The palace was stretched over miles and miles of land. It was built of light gray stone that glittered in the sunlight. It had green fields, crystal clear rivers, and thick forests to contrast its bustling square and tall, looming towers.
The square was located in the center of all the other buildings and was decorated with fountains and beautiful flowers. This was where most of the social activities took place. There, and at the banquet hall.
Across the square from the front building, was Emperor Caraway's wing of the palace. This is where his rooms were located.
Behind it was a tall tower that rose high above the rest of the palace. This is where Princess Rinoa had her rooms.
Over bridges located on eith side of the square were long, rectangular buildings where the public and guest bed rooms were.
At the far ends of these buildings were staircases that twisted in a beautiful maze and eventually led to long, arched bridges that led over glistenening rivers to Rinoa's garden, which surrounded her tower.
Per haps one of the most appealing things about the palace, or perhaps one of the most awful, depending on your point of view, was that the entire land was enclosed by a tall wall. To some, it gave a feeling of security. To the young, beautiful Princess Rinoa, it gave a feeling of imprisonment.
That day, in the square, there was more hustle and bustle than usual. The staff of the palace was busy getting ready for a grand celebration that would take place that evening. It was the engagement party of Princess Rinoa and Sir Seifer Almasy.
As Rinoa stood in the sewing room of her tower, allowing the seamstresses to add the finishing touches to her dress, she struggled to fight back the tears that were threatening to spill over.
"Princess," one of her servants said. "Your father is here."
Rinoa bit her lip. He wasn't going to make this easy on her, was he?
"Rinoa!" her father said as he entered. "I just came to see how your dress for the evening was coming along. You must look your best. Not only for Sir Almasy, but also for the other guests that will be here."
"Emperor," Rinoa began. "I need to speak to you. In private."
"Very well, then," he replied and dismissed the seamstresses from their work. Once they left, Emperor Caraway said, "I know what you're going to say, Rinoa. I've already told you that it makes no difference. Sir Almasy is a good match for you. He can give you the discipline you need. And he comes from a powerful family. It's a good political marriage."
"I hate you!" Rinoa shouted. "You don't give a damn about what I want! I can't stand Seifer Almasy! You know that. Why must you do this to me?!"
"Because I love you and I want what's best for you. Almasy is an excellent warrior and very rich. You should be happy."
"He treats me as if I'm on a lower level than him just because I'm female."
Caraway laughed. "Yes, well, I see he has a proper mind set. It will do you goo to be his wife. It will put you in your place."
Rinoa narrowed her eyes and stepped down from the stool where she had stood and crossed the room to stare directly into her father's eyes.
"And what would you do if I ran away?" she asked in a low, menacing voice. "What would that do to your precious image?"
"If you ran away, I would send every warrior I have out to find you, and would not rest until you were back here and married to Almasy."
"I hate you," she repeated.
"I know. But do you really think I care?"
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(I need to get out of here) Rinoa thought as she watched the couples dancing across the square. She was supposed to be out there dancing with Seifer, but he was busy flirting with all the single women he came across. She didn't mind. So long as he left her alone.
She spotted her father heading toward her with a group of people, and quickly ran the other way. She hated to talk to her father's boring political acquaintences.
She climbed the staircases until she reached the bridge leading to her tower. When she came to a stop, she realized there was already someone standing there. A man dressed in dark clothes with untidy brown hair stood with his back to her. At the sound of her approaching footsteps, he turned to face her.
"Oh, I'm sorry," she said to him. "I didn't realize there was someone already here."
"It's alright," he said in a low, smooth voice that sent chills up her spine.
She edged closer to him and glanced up at the shining stars and full moon above.
"It's a beautiful night, isn't it?" she said casually.
"I guess you could say that."
A few moments stretched on in agonizing silence before Rinoa finally said. "So. I guess you're not the talkative type."
".........."
She laughed. "Yep. That confirms it. So. Wanna dance?"
"Don't know how."
"That's a shame," she replied. "I guess you never take your..... girlfriend out dancing?"
".....I don't have a girlfriend."
Rinoa struggled to hide the grin that was beginning to grace her features. Then it occured to her that he might have wife.
"Oh, I see. What about your wife, then? She doesn't mind that you can't dance?"
He seemed not to notice that she was prying for information. "......I don't have a wife either."
She grinned. "I see. That's a bit surprising."
"Why?"
"You just seemed like the type of guy that would have girls falling all over him," she said while taking in his features.
He just shrugged and turned away to hide his blush. "If you say so."
She smiled. "Maybe I can teach you how to dance. That way you won't dissapoint your future girlfriend or wife."
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Well, you're going to whether you like it or not," she said determindly as she took his hand and put it on her waist, and took his other in her own.
"I'm not doing this," he said, but made not attempt to pull away.
Her grin widened as she said, "Yes. You are."
She then began doing the movements of the dance, spinning and twisting in perfect rhythm to the distant music.
The dance ended up with her dipped in his arms and their lips just centimeters apart.
"You lied. You can dance," she said in a soft whisper, her lips brushing his with every movement.
"So?" he asked as a slight tremor ran through him at the contact between them. He had never been so close to anyone before.
She didn't answer. Instead she closed the small gap between them.
He wanted to pull away. His mind was begging him to. But the softness of her lips against his was a far greater feeling than he could've ever expected. He couldn't bring himself to pull away.
Suddenly, fireworks erupted overhead, disturbing them from their kiss.
"Oh no!" Rinoa exclaimed and broke away from his embrace. "I'm sorry. It was...um ..... nice meeting you! I.... have to go."
With that, she gave a quick wave and ran from the bridge back to the square.
He watched her as she left, then, shaking his head, turned back to the river underneath the bridge.
Sometime later, as the party was winding down, he left the bridge and walked back to the square where he spotted someone he was looking for. He was dancing with a girl with a pigtail.
"Zell," he called to him. "It's almost time."
The short blonde man bid the girl farewell, and walked up to him.
"Where's Irvine?" he asked.
Zell grinned. "You know Irvine. He's got some woman he's making out with in the banquet hall."
He rolled his eyes. "Well, go get him. We're making our move soon."
Zell gave a salute. "Yessir! By the way. D'ya meet anyone special? You know. Like a girl?"
"That's none of your business."
Zell shook his head. "Squall, man. We were supposed to have fun and losen up at this party before we had to complete our mission. I don't guess you've ever done such a thing though, right? I mean, exactly how far up your ass is that stick?"
"Zell?"
"Yeah, Squall?"
"Do you value your head?"
"Point taken. I guess I'll go get Irvine, now."
"Good."
About ten minutes later, the three men were gather in front of the tower.
"So this is it? We're going for it?" Irvine asked.
Squall nodded. "Yeah. Let's get some where that we won't be spotted so easily. I don't think the Princess is here yet, but she should be along shortly. It wouldn't do for us to be standing out here like idiots, now would it?"
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After the party, Rinoa stumbled off to her tower, tired and worn. The fireworks had been an idication that it was time for the formalities to begin. All the toasts and well-wishings to the "happy" new couple.
Not once that night did she see that man from the bridge again. She wished she had. She also wished she had asked him his name.
As she approached the entrance of her tower, she saw Seifer standing there as if he was waiting for her.
"What are you doing here?" she asked him.
He frowned at her. "I saw you with that man. On the bridge. I saw you kiss him."
"So what's it to you?" she asked in a challenging tone.
He grabbed her roughly by her upper arm and slammed her against the wall of the tower.
"You listen to me and listen good. I am your fiance. That means you are to respect me and obey me. You will not make a fool out of me! Understood?! You will remain faithful to me!"
"And what of your faithfulness? You think I don't know that you're ready and willing to fuck any short-skirted floozy that walks by?" she shot back as she winced in pain from his nails digging into her arm.
"It doesn't matter what I do. Or who or how many I sleep with. I will do as I please. And you are not to say a word. Understood?"
"I hate you!" Rinoa hissed and slapped him across the face with her free hand.
He let go of her arm and slapped her across the face so hard she fell to the ground. "You're not a princess. You're spoiled little whore. You ever hit me again, and I'll get my Gunblade after you."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Rinoa to pick herself up off the ground and stumble off to her room.
"Man, that was harsh," Zell whispered from his hiding place behind a rose bush.
They were close enough that they had witnessed the scene and heard the harsh conversation, but not close enough to see the Princess's face or features.
"No kidding," Irvine replied. "I didn't think you could treat the Princess like that."
"Eough!" Squall said as he saw the light in her room go off. "It's time."
"Good luck, Squall," Zell said as Squall moved from behind the bushes.
Squall scaled the side of the tower until he got to the balcony outside of the Princess's room. When he got there, he hid aroung the side and peeked in through the white sheer curtains that hung from the top of the balcony. No one was there.
He was a bit confused at first, but then he saw the light coming out from beneath a door in her room, and figured she was probably in the bathroom or something. He would just have to wait.
When, at last, she entered the room again, she was covered only by a towel. The water clinging to her body glistened in the moon light, which was the only source of light in the room.
As she crossed the room, her towel fell open and fluttered to the ground. Squall quickly averted his eyes, but not before getting an eyeful.
He felt his cheeks grow hot, and the image flashed repeatedly through his mind, against his will. Not that he minded.
When he looked up again, she was dressed in a short, white satin nightgown with a sheer robe over it. She had turned on a dim lamp and was sitting at a vanity brushing her hair.
Squall turned away again, feeling a wave of nervousness rise in him. This was the first time he had ever done this type of thing.
He heard a soft click and turned to see that the lamp had been turned off. She was now crossing the room to her bed.
Squall took a deep breath, and cautiously snuck into the room, trying to be as quiet as possible.
He grabbed her around the waist with one arm from behind, and clamped his other hand over her mouth, muffling her scream. She bit down on his hand, but was dissapointed to taste leather instead of blood.
Squall shoved a gag in her mouth and bound her wrists with a rope as he moved her toward the back door. On the other side of it, was a small balcony. He opened the door and looked over the edge to see Irvine standing uneasily on the ground below, waiting there as planned.
Squall picked her up in her arms and jumped to the roof of the porch below. He then tossed her down to Irvine, who caught her, and waited for Squall to jump down.
Once everyone was safe and secure on the ground, Irvine whistled and Zell came around from the front where he had been watching out for anyone approaching. The three men, and the captured princess then fled to the forest behind the tower. They traveled through the forest until the came to a large wall.
This wall was the one that enclosed the palace. The one that kept out the rest of the world. Most people had seen the world, and didn't like what it had to offer, and so were glad for the wall. But Rinoa had never been outside of that wall. She had never been allowed to experience the real world, though she had always longed to. Despite her unfortunate posisition, she still felt a wave of satisfaction swell in her at finally being able to go outside that dreaded wall.
On the other side of it, an empty carriage was waiting for them. Squall, who had been carrying Rinoa, opened the door, shoved her inside, and got in after her. Zell and Irvine took over the job of driving.
Once Squall knew they were safe and moving, he turned back to the Princess who he was now seeing for the first time in light. He was quite surprised to find that it was the same girl that he had danced with on the bridge.
"It's you!" he exclaimed as he removed her gag.
"No shit," she replied angrily. "Who the hell did you think I was?!"
"I didn't know you were Princess Rinoa," he said.
She shook her head in exasperation. "Didn't you pay any attention to anything at the party?"
"I was on that bridge for most of the party," he exclaimed. "I'm sorry, but your father's parties are extremely boring. Parties aren't my thing anyway."
Rinoa laughed. "Well, you do have a point about my father's parties."
"You can laugh even when you're being kidnapped?"
She shrugged. "Why not? I mean, you guys aren't planning to kill me are you?"
He shook his head. "No. We didn't kidnap you just for the hell of it, you know. We're only mercenaries. We were hired."
"By who?"
"Your father's worst enemy. Emperor Chu Yun."
Rinoa's jaw dropped. Maybe these guys didn't plan to hurt her, but Emperor Chu Yun was not known for his kindness. Especially not with his enemies. Her mother's dark fate was a good example. She had been captured once when the palace was attacked. She was taken away to Chu Yun's palace and totured for all the military information she had. Once they had gotten all from her that they could, they killed her and placed her head one a spike lining the palace wall in a cruel example of Chu Yun' power.
At the memory of this, Rinoa shut her eyes tightly and tried to fight the tears that were threatening to overtake her.
"From one hell to another," she muttered.
Squall frowned. "We're not going to hurt you."
"I know," she said, her voice cracking. "But he will. Just like my mother."
Squall sighed and looked out the window. He couldn't watch her cry like that. He might start to feel sympathetic. He realized he had fallen into a difficult situation. He had never been the ruthless type. He could never bring himself to slaughter innocent women and children and not think twice about, like most men in his profession. It wouldn't be easy for him to deliver this girl to Chu Yun, for he knew what her fate would be. So he decided he'd just try not to think about it, and keep himself at a distance. But he'd met this girl, already. He'd danced with her. Even kissed her. This was going to be harder than he thought.
"How much is he paying you?" Rinoa asked suddenly.
"Plenty," he replied, still not looking at her.
She nodded, "That's good. Put lots of food on the table. Glad to hear that. I suppose all that gil will make it worth while, huh?"
"What do you mean?"
"Kidnapping me, giving me to some ruthless tyrant like Chu Yun. The gil justifies it, right?"
"It's my job. It's what I do. Who are you to say what's right and wrong? Just because you're a princess doesn't mean you have a right to judge other people's morals."
She narrowed her eyes. "In this case, I feel I have everyright in the world to judge. I'm the one being kidnapped after all."
"Whatever," he grumbled and returned to looking out the window.
"Think you can get off that easy? Well, you're going to be stuck with me for a while, and rest assured, I won't hesitate to tell you what I think of you."
"Look," he began angrily. "Maybe when you were in your palace, it was alright to be a spoiled little brat. But I'm not going to tolerate it. You might as well just shut your mouth and enjoy your final days."
Rinoa turned away then, feeling the tears again. This was awful. Absolutely terrible. She thought maybe she could reach him. But it was obvious that he had no heart.
"I'm sorry," he said in a softer tone.
She shook her head. "Forget it. I don't expect a mercenary to take pity on me. Just leave me alone for the rest of the trip."
"Fine by me," he replied coldly.
Sometime later, after Rinoa had fallen asleep, the carriage came to a stop. Rinoa opened her eyes slowly and looked around. Squall was still awake, and still staring out the window.
He turned to her and said, "We've reached camp. Let's get out."
She didn't speak a word to him, even as he helped her out of the carriage. Not even when he tied the rope around her wrists again. Instead she focused on her new surroundings. They were in the middle of a forest. There were a few other people there, who had set up tents and built a large fire.
As he pushed her gently along, a young woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes approached them. She had three small hoop earrings in each ear, and a deck of tarot cards in her hand. She was obviously a gypsy.
"Hey there, Squall," she said in a flirtatious voice while she smiled sweetly. "How are things going?"
"Fine, Quistis," he answered then shoved Rinoa lightly toward her. "Please let her borrow some of your clothes. She'll freeze to death in what she's wearing."
"Anything for you," she replied and pushed Rinoa toward one of the tents.
The tent was rather empty, with only a small pile of blankets for a bed, a small table with a crystal ball, and a trunk full of clothes and weapons. Quistis opened the trunk and started digging through it until she had produced a long, satin, midnight blue skirt, a white, lacey shirt, and a red shawl with a pair of worn, scuffed brown boots.
She handed the pile of clothes to Rinoa and untied the ropes from around her wrist.
"Now, I'm gonna go stand right outside this tent while you get dressed," she said. "But first, I need to tell you something very important." Suddenly her tone became threatening as she said, "You had better stay away from Squall. He's mine, you hear?"
Rinoa laughed. "If you say so."
Quistis sneered down at her. "I mean it, you little brat! I saw the way he was looking at you. You may be some pretty, young little princess, but he's mine! He loves ME, even if he doesn't know it yet."
Rinoa was still stuck on the first part. "What do you mean, the way he was looking at me?"
"He's mine. You better not cause any trouble. I'll put a curse on your pretty little head that will carry down to your great, great grandkids. Got it?"
Rinoa nodded and resisted the urge to laugh again. "I got it. You can have. I sure as hell don't want him."
Quistis smiled sincerely. "Good to see we have an understanding. Sorry I had to be so mean, but I gotta protect what's mine, you know. Lots of women are after him. Can't blame them, though."
"Yeah, he does look very handsome, if you don't mind my saying so. He's just the most cold, heartless, uptight man I've ever met."
"Amen sister!" Quistis said with a laugh. "Now, I'll leave you alone to get dressed. Just come out when you're ready."
"Alright," Rinoa replied. "Thanks."
Rinoa dressed quickly, trying to ignore the fact that the clothes were a bit too big for her. Quistis several inches taller than her and had bigger feet than she did.
As she was putting on one of the boots, she felt something cold and hard hit her foot. She reached her hand into the boot and pulled out a small but sharp folded knife. She examined it for a moment then put it back in the boot and stuck her foot in. She decided that the knife would come in handy. She could use it to escape late that night. And the boot was big enough that she could keep it in there without it hurting her foot.
A few moments later, Rinoa came out. She had to admit, it was getting very cold, and she felt a lot warmer in Quistis's clothes.
"Well, they're a bit big on you, but definately not bad," Quistis commented.
At that moment, Squall walked up to them. "Good. You're properly dressed," he commented. "It wouldn't do for you to catch something and die before we get to Chu Yun's palace."
He knew saying that would make her angry. That's why he said it. She didn't say a word to him. She didn't even look at him. But he could see it in her eyes that he had gotten to her. He felt a slight satisfaction at knowing this.
He took her by the shoulders and began to shove her toward a different tent. This tent was empty, save a few blankets on the floor. Squall forced her onto her knees on the blankets and tied her wrists to her ankles.
(Perfect) Rinoa thought with a grin.
Squall noticed the grin on her face and took a couple steps back to look at her. "Is something funny about this?" he asked.
She didn't answer, and didn't look at him.
"Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?"
No reply.
"Suit yourself." He shrugged and started to walk out of the tent. "Get some sleep. It will be a long day tomorrow," he said over his shoulder.
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Several hours later, Rinoa awoke in the big, dark tent. She hadn't meant to go to sleep, but it had been such a tiring day, that she couldn't help it. At least she still had some time before the sun rose to escape.
She slipped the boot of her foot and turned it over so that the knife fell out. She lowered her hand to the ground and felt around until she found the knife. She flipped the blade out and cut through the rope, freeing her wrists.
She stood for the first time in hours, and stretched out her sore arms and legs. She figured her captor had known what kind of pain that position would out her in that morning and had done it on purpose. She cursed him mentally as she peeked out from the tent's flap to see that the camp was quiet, and obviously sleeping.
She snuck out and looked around. The coast was clear.
Rinoa noticed that the sky was becoming lighter by the second. The sun would be up soon. She had to hurry. But what could she do? Certainly, he would check up on her that morning, and discover her missing. He would send search parties out to find her. Just like her father. She couldn't outrun him. Or could she?
The carriage was still parked in the same spot where it had come to a stop last night. It couldn't be too hard to drive a carriage, could it?
She climbed up onto the front and took the reins in her hands. She didn't have much experience with horses, but once again, how hard could it possible be?
She flicked the reins, slapping the horse across the back, and he started moving forward, at a very fast speed. She was jolted back, unprepared for the speed. But at least she was getting somewhere.
As she traveled along the path, she realized that path would eventually lead to Chu Yun's palace. She definately didn't want to go there, so she headed off the path and deeper into the forest. She didn't know where she was going, and she didn't care. She just didn't want to go home or to Chu Yun's palace. She saw this as an oppurtunity to gain the freedom she had always longed for.
The deeper she went into the forest, the more unstable the terrain became. She soon found herself on a path that twisted up the height of a small mountain. This is where everything went wrong.
The horse was still moving at a fast pace despite the length of time he'd been traveling. In fact, he was barely getting around the curves without going over the edge and falling into the river far below.
Rinoa didn't know how to stop him. She had tried everything she could think of, but it all just seemed to make him move faster.
The higher the got on the mountain, the narrower the path got. As they headed around another curve, the wheels on one side of the carriage slipped of the path and were hanging off the edge, slowly taking the rest of the carriage with it.
Rinoa screamed and pulled the reins to the opposite side as hard as she could. The horse jerked in that direction, causing the carriage to slam into the side of the mountain and break open.
The loud noice scared the horse and caused him to rear up, throwing Rinoa off. She fell and rolled right off the edge. She held on for dear life with one arm. Her other one clawed at the side of the mountain, unable to find something to hold on to.
A few moments passed and she wondered how she would ever survive as she looked down at the raging river below her. She was completely alone, save the horse, and it wasn't likely he could save her.
Her life started to flash before her eyes, but was cut short when she felt a hand grab on to her own.
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A/N: Well, there's the first chapter. What do you think? Does it totally suck? I hope not. Anyway, please R&R! My self-esteem is gotten very low lately due to the small number of reviews for my other story, Relfections of Reality. Hope you enjoyed!