Aerith, Tifa & Sparkles

[The Painted Lady]

This far away from camp?
Sabela kept that thought to herself however, looking back down at the ground again. She stood there silently for a moment, beginning to feel awkward. Finally she broke the silence.
"I'm sorry, Llyr," she said, still in the same quiet voice.

[Tifa Lockhart]

"For what." Llyr said blandly, unable to meet her gaze. "My personal issues with this mission aren't important. My obligation is to protect you every step of the way and i shall do so."

[The Painted Lady]

"I'm sorry," she said, trying to stop her voice from trembling, "for hurting you and not being able to do anything about it." She took a small step toward the knight.
"I don't want this," she whispered, looking up to reveal that tears were streaming down her face.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Subconsciously and almost instinctively Llyr looked up as he heard her shaky voice and almost stepped forward to embrace her, but at the last minute he remembered and flinched away, his heart screaming when he saw her tears.
"O.... Our duty is to our kingdom Sabela.... your kingdom." He held her gaze firmly. "You have to forget about anything you feel for me... it's too late to turn back now... too do so would mean war." He finally broke eye contact and even turned away.
"Some things just aren't meant to be."

[The Painted Lady]

Sabela felt stung as Llyr turned away. She reached out briefly to gently touch his arm, but hesitated and withdrew.
She felt like shouting that it wasn't fair, but instead took a step back.
"I'm glad to hear you can see the sense in this... maybe I'll learn to see it too one day..."
Her tone wasn't bitter or didn't hold any malice, but there was a broken-hearted edge to her words. The princess moved back to a fallen log, sitting down and staring at her hands.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Llyr turned back abruptly as she walked away, feeling his unreigned temper flaring up again just a little at her words. He inhaled deeply and moved to sit beside her.
"Alright.... enough facade." He breathed, checking there was no one around before he spoke again. "I like what you're having to do as much as a wound in the chest Sabela. I've been through a lot in my life... my training to be a knight... but none of that will be nearly as painful for me as watching you being married off to another man... especially one you're only marrying because it's your duty too." He exhaled with a sigh. "But to stop you would dishonor me, my family, you and your kingdom... i will not be the cause of that."
He reached up hesitantly as if he were about to stroke her cheek and then stopped, the hand returning to his side.

[The Painted Lady]

Sabela turned her bright blue gaze on Llyr as he sat beside her.
"You could never dishonour me," she whispered.
"You don't have to stop me, I'll do it myself. If I have to bear dishonour for it, let it be."

[Tifa Lockhart]

Llyr jerked away abruptly at this and faced her with desperation.
"I could never let you do that Princess..." he said, neglecting to use her name. "I am hardly worth betraying your people for."

[The Painted Lady]

"But you are!" she blurted out desperately.
Sabela looked away instantly.
"All I know is... what I feel for you, it's nothing like anything else... I don't want to let that go just yet..."

[Tifa Lockhart]

Llyr turned back with a frown, struggling to understand why she would jeopardize her future and betray her people merely to be with him.
"Princess I-....Sabela..." he began, unable to finish.

[The Painted Lady]

Sabela didn't prompt Llyr to finish his sentence, scared he would push her away again. She turned her sad gaze breifly to the knight, before looking up at the night sky, watching the stars. She let the silence remain between them for a while before she spoke again.
"What do you think of when you look at the stars, Llyr?" she asked, trying to move away from their current topic.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Llyr glanced at Sabela briefly and looked up at the trillions of lights shining over his head and sighed peacefully.
"Another world where you and i cou-" He stopped abruptly, biting down so hard on his tongue that it bled. "Uh.... " But no matter how hard he tried, every explanation he had led back to Sabela...

[The Painted Lady]

Despite everything, Sabela hid the small smile at his words. But then she sighed, pausing only slightly before resting her head on his shoulders.
"Me too..." she whispered, closing her eyes.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Llyr tensed as she laid her head on his shoulder, but he couldn't help but to relax in her presence, his heart filled with nothing but love for the lady he had served for so long.
How would he bare to watch her marry another? How could he? A sigh escaped his lips.

[The Painted Lady]

Sabela felt Llyr's shoulders drop with his sigh and opened her eyes, looking up at him. She watched him for a moment, before turning her gaze straight ahead.
"What is going to happen?" she asked quietly, mainly to herself.