Aerith & Tifa (Tirith)

[Tifa Lockhart]

The moon was high and the stars twinkled by its side, acting as if nothing in the world could be wrong. The garden of roses was bathed in blue-white light and the fountain glittered as it trickled gently at the garden's heart. The path through the garden was covered by arbours with vines climbing the concrete pillars carved with the goddesses that watched over the kingdom. Leaning against one of these pillars was a dark figure, his blue-green eyes cast to the floor. He was waiting, waiting for her to arrive as he had been since darkness had fallen.

She was often late, but he understood... it was much harder for her to get away unnoticed.

[The Painted Lady]

"Llyr?..." A soft, musical voice whispered in the dark, a little uncertain and quiet.
A pale face emerged from the hedges, baby blue eyes searching for the one who waited for her. The silver circlet that usually sat atop her long blonde curls wasn't there. She hated making their places clear to one another.

She rubbed her arms as a cool breeze whipped her hair across her face, her night gown swaying gently. Her dress showed just how rushed she had been to make it to her rendezvous. Her decoy was in place, but as always, she was a little fearful. All it ever took was one thing to go wrong... She found his face then though, those familiar blue-green eyes, and everything seemed worth it again...

[Tifa Lockhart]

The moment he heard her voice he straightened from the pillar, his swordsman arms dropping to his side as he moved towards her, emerging from the shadow of the arbours to stand before her in the moonlight, his loose fitting shirt of pale blue and black leather breeches complementing his nicely toned body. His hair was a sandy blonde colour cropped short at the back and sides. A pendant with a sword on it hung around his neck.
"Sabela." He acknowledged, his voice soft, "You should put something warm on before you come..." He said, pale fingers reaching out to touch her goose-bump covered arms with tenderness.
A large gold ring with an insignia on it glinted in the moonlight.

[The Painted Lady]

Sabela shook her head gently, resting a hand on his chest.
"I can't feel the cold..." she said softly.
Carefully, her other hand reached up to touch his jaw, his chin, trace over his lips. She brought her eyes up to meet with his properly for the first time that night. It was hard to remember that he was her champion and she was his princess to protect at a time like this.
"I'm sorry I kept you waiting..."

[Tifa Lockhart]

"I was not waiting long... i was afraid you'd get here before me... i was held up." Despite how long they'd been meeting like this the Knight was much slower to respond to the Princess's advances than he would have liked. Duty was his watch-word, he'd grown up and sworn his life to the royal family, so his honour was his most precious asset, he did not dare jeopardize it by being caught doing such things with the Princess...
But all the honour in the world could not overcome his heart... and her touch felt so right.
He held her gaze with his intently, the rune tattooed beside his eye dark in the moonlight. Slowly his hand raised to touch hers that rested on her face, fingers curling around it protectively as he drew it away and graced her knuckles with a brush of his lips.

[The Painted Lady]

Sabela felt a tear slip down her cheek as he kissed her hand. She loved him so much, but it was so complicated. Still, she hoped one day when she found the courage to admit her true feelings to someone other than Llyr, that they would be accepted. What was so horrible about a princess and her champion?
"It's getting harder for you too, isn't it?" she whispered.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Llyr grimaced slightly, still holding her delicate hand in his, hating how soft hers felt in comparison to his - the calloused hands of a warrior. "The other Knights are beginning to suspect something... as yet they are a long way off." A small chuckle emitted from his throat, "They believe i have a drinking problem."

[The Painted Lady]

A quiet laugh slipped from her lips before she could contain it properly. She shifted her hand in his, so her fingers entwined with his.
"I could do my best to send you back with a bottle of wine if you wanted," she teased gently.
Even when their secret was threatened, somehow Llyr managed to make her feel light-headed and light-hearted. It was what she loved most about him; he wasn't afraid to make her laugh.

[Tifa Lockhart]

For a moment Llyr shared the joke with a gentle chuckle, but his expression began to sober quickly. Slowly he raised his free hand to cup her face, his eyes tender and sad. Though Sabela dreamed of their eventual acceptance he knew the reality. No matter how kind her father was - a Llyr knew better than most - he would never condone a union between his royal blooded daughter and her mystery blooded guardian.

As a child he'd been found wandering aimlessly. He had not even so much as a name, he remembered nothing at all. All he had to identify himself with was the curious rune tattooed beside his right eye. The king had taken him in on the late queen's request, cared for him and raised him... and given him to the Princess as a play-mate and companion designed to one day become her guardian until his duty was done in his own demise or otherwise. In a way it was silly of the monarch not to expect the two to fall for one another, Llyr's fondest memories were all of Sabela, his first laugh and his first smile were thanks to her.
In fact she was one of the few that could make the stoic Knight smile at all.

Gently he stroked her cheek with his thumb, the awkwardness of the action dissipating quickly, he found himself almost instinctively drawing her closer to him.

[The Painted Lady]

Sabela just watched Llyr as that familiar look entered his eye when he was thinking. But then, just as quickly, his focus snapped back to reality, back to her. The gradual tightening of his arms was all the encouragement she needed. She leant in slowly, reaching up. She paused just before his lips, blue eyes flicking up to his momentarily. She knew that sometimes their relationship could be fragile, and sometimes his honour could get in the way...

[Tifa Lockhart]

Llyr winced, insecurities plaguing his mind, everything could go horribly wrong right now, but as her eyes flicked to his he felt them getting cast aside, unimportant in the light of her beauty and how she made him feel.
His arm snaked gently around her waist, drawing her close to his chest as he gently kissed her lips, still slightly worried about what might happen to them, but mostly lost in the emotions he felt.

[The Painted Lady]

Sabela reached up with a hand to touch Llyr's face as she returned his kiss tenderly. It caused mixed emotions, alighting her feelings for him again, but instilling a deep regret in her at the same time. She just wished they could be together, out in the daylight, instead of under the shade of night.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Their moments of intimacy like this one never lasted long, for despite all the longing in the world Llyr's nervous sense of duty would always kick in, usually triggered by the smallest of sounds like the rustle of leaves or the chirp of a cricket. This time it was the loud croak of a frog that made him flinch away.
"S-Sorry, Princess." He said, looking around with nervous eyes, the return of formal titles showing how uneasy he was.

There wasn't a day he didn't wish he'd been born a noble's son, so that he might claim her hand in marriage.
He often dreamed of his family finding him after all these years, he'd pretended they were monarchs of a far off land. Then usually a sensible part of his mind would tell him not to be silly.

[The Painted Lady]

Sabela sighed, stroking Llyr's cheek gently even as he pulled away.
"Don't call me that," she whispered.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Llyr broke eye contact with Sabela when she pleaded him not to call her by her title.
"No matter what else you may be to me Sabela... you will always be my Princess." His hold around her waist loosened.