Chapter 21
Liz spent the whole morning and afternoon making last minute alterations on Tess’ and her stepmother’s dresses. What made it all worse was that Tess kept changing her mind on how she wanted her dress to look when she was introduced to the country as the future wife of Prince Maxwell. It sent chills down Liz’s spine every time she saw her stepsister get that sappy look.
Liz also made some last minute alterations on Maria’s dress, even though Maria protested. She didn’t mind fixing her dress though. Maria had become her lifeline here at the palace, so some thread work on a dress did not seem like much. She didn’t want Maria to see but the effects of a long day were starting to catch up to her, so as soon as she finished with her dress she excused herself to her room to take a nap.
As soon as her head hit the pillow she was unconscious. Had she been awake she would have realized that her schedule of little food and little sleep was slowly damaging her body. Her body desperately needed a break, which is why when the door opened to her room she did not wake from her slumber. She did not even wake when an object was placed next to her on the bed nor when the door softly closed.
When Liz awoke from her slumber the first thing she noticed was that night had fallen. She started to panic that she had overslept, but when she heard Tess whining that her hair wasn’t just perfect she knew that she still had time. Not that it mattered; she wasn’t going to the ball, but she did want to watch from afar.
Scooting off the bed she felt a foreign fabric from the bed. Liz looked down to where her hand lay and she sucked in her breath. Her eyes widened as she looked at one of the most beautiful dresses she had ever seen. She noticed a note on top of the dress as well as the same flower as she was looking at the other day. Slightly puzzled she looked at the note and read it softly to herself:
Dearest Liz,
I hope you like the dress and that it fits. I told you I would take care of everything. I wasn’t sure what size your feet are, but just ask Julia (one of the servants I’m sure you’ve met) and she’ll get you the right size shoe. I hope to see you there tonight.
Until tonight,
Max
P.S.
I noticed you liked this flower, I hope you’ll wear it tonight.
Tears of happiness welded up in her eyes as she read the note. She couldn’t believe his kindness. Over the years she imagined what he was like, but she had no idea that he could be so generous. No one had given her anything since her father had passed away. Standing in front of a mirror she held up the dress and a small smile formed on her face.
(That evening)
“Prince Maxwell and his chosen bride-to-be Lady Tessa Parker” the man announced to the awaiting crowd. A round of applause was heard as the couple entered hand in hand.
Tess greedily ate up the attention. She knew she was going to love having this kind of attention on a daily basis. Max, on the other hand, was not happy at all. He hated being stared at and watched like he was some sort of god. Didn’t these people have something better to do than gawk at him?
He and Tess walked up to his parents sitting at their thrones and bowed in respect. He watched as his fiancée talked excitedly to her mother. His eyes scanned the crowd. Not twenty feet from him he saw Michael asking Maria to dance. He watched as her eyes lit up in excitement as Michael led her to the dance floor. Max smiled, happy that his dear friend had found someone. At least this whole mess with Tess wasn’t a complete disaster.
Then again, of course, if it wasn’t for Tess he wouldn’t have met the enchanting Elizabeth. Max wondered where Liz was. Did she even come to the engagement ball? His eyes darted wildly around the room trying to find her.
Max sucked in a sharp breath when his eyes landed on her standing quietly in the corner. As if she could feel his eyes on her, her eyes looked towards him. His heart swelled as he saw how stunning she looked in the dress he gave her. The beautiful red satin dress fit her perfectly. Her hair which was usually pulled up when she was working around the palace was now down with soft curls. His hands ached to touch her silky hair.
Max was broken from his stare when his fiancée grabbed his arm. She whispered in his ear that she expected him to dance with her as soon as the next song began. Looking down at his feet, he sighed softly and nodded his head. He needed to stop thinking about Liz, no matter how beautiful she is. This was his engagement ball for crying out loud!
Liz watched painfully as the next song began and Max guided Tess out to the dance floor. People kept dancing, but a small circle formed around the couple, so everyone could watch them dance.
Her heart thumped as Tess placed her cheek on Max’s shoulder, enjoying her new place in society. This was supposed to be her. After all it was her that the prince really chose, not Tess. Who was she kidding? That was never supposed to be her. She would never be good enough for this kind of life.
Feeling defeated and realizing it was a mistake to even come to the ball, Liz turned around and headed towards the balcony. She didn’t even notice that the song had ended. She enjoyed the rush of the cool night air hitting her body as she entered the balcony. Looking out at stars she felt relaxed, at least until the painful memories of another night when she was out here during a ball came rushing back to her.
Liz was so engrossed into her thoughts that she didn’t even notice another presence until she felt a hand clamp down on her shoulder. Letting a small yelp she whipped her body around to see Prince Maxwell standing there with a small smirk on his lips.
“You scared me half to death!” Liz scolded, but it only made Max chuckle even harder. “You’re laughing at me!” Liz said as she narrowed her eyes. She poked him in the chest to emphasize her statement.
Max wasn’t sure when she became so comfortable and playful with him, but he was glad for it. He felt bad for scaring her, but she was too adorable when she yelped and got annoyed with him. “You are right, I was laughing at you. Will you let me make it up to you by dancing with me?”
Liz smiled softly and nodded her head. He gently pulled her into his warm arms. They slowly danced around the small balcony.
“Now what makes you think that dancing with me makes up for you scaring me half to death and then laughing at me?” Liz asked with an arched brow. She had been so nervous around him before, but somehow the tension had melted away and she felt comforted in his presence once again.
“Well my lady, because this is my engagement ball. I don’t just dance with anyone.” Reality started to crash down on him when he realized the truth in his words. This was his engagement ball and he was dancing and flirting with his fiancée’s stepsister! His voice was soft, but tender as he added, “But I won’t tell anyone if you don’t.”
Although Liz was sad that what he said was true, she giggled thinking of how he wanted to dance with her. She had never really shared a secret with anyone, but now she shared with one with the prince! It was rather exciting. “I didn’t get a chance to thank you for the dress. It’s really beautiful. Thank you so much.” Liz made sure to look him in the eye as she spoke, but found her words coming out almost in a sob as she thanked him.
Max gently wiped away the tear that was starting to trickle down her cheek with his thumb. “You’re very welcome. I told you I would take care of everything.” He watched as she nodded her head and she smiled.
As the song was coming to an end he had a horrible feeling of déjà vu. Looking into her eyes he felt as though he had been in this exact position before, looking at her. Holding her as they glided along the balcony, it felt like he had done this before with her. Their dancing seemed so natural. Looking down at her, he shook his thoughts away. He couldn’t have danced with her before; after all she never would have gone to a ball before, right?
The song ended and they both broke away reluctantly. They made their way over to the balcony’s edge. Without saying anything they watched the stars together. Even though neither spoke it was a comfortable silence.
“Look out there Liz to those flickering lights. I wonder what all those people are doing right now, while we sit here watching them.” Max said with a sigh. How he longed to have their freedom.
“They are spending the little free time they have with their families before they have to work all day tomorrow. Tell me something. Why do you wonder about them? You have everything at your disposal here. Those people are starving. It’s not a pleasant life. Why would you dream about a life like that?” Liz asked, not realizing how close those words were to the words she spoke in that exact spot at another ball.
Max’s body froze at her words. Those are almost the exact words that were said to him the night of the masked ball. He felt his whole body go stiff as he realized why dancing with her had seemed so familiar. It was like a light switch was turned on in his head. Everything was starting to make sense now. He know understood why Tess was so different than he expected her to be, why dancing with her didn’t feel comfortable, but dancing with Liz had.
Liz realized her error when Max’s body stiffened and turned towards her with a deadly glare in his eyes. He knew. Oh god. She stepped back in fear of what Max was going to do. This seemed to only make him angrier she noticed.
“It was you the night of the ball, wasn’t it?” Max demanded. He had noticed her backing away, and it made him angry. Her fear only confirmed his thoughts. “Wasn’t it?” he shouted when he heard no reply.
“Yes.” Liz replied softly. In all her experiences with Max she had never been afraid of him, but in this moment she was more afraid than any other moment in her life.
“It was you all along, and yet you said nothing! What was the plan, huh? You bewitch me and make me fall in love with you, then lie and have your stepsister take your place? You lied to me! All this time! You played me for a fool!” Max raged on and on. He paced wildly as he realized what must have been going on all this time. “Was this some kind of game to you?”
“No, Max. I swear it wasn’t. Tess…I…” Liz tried to choke out through her tears, but Max wouldn’t have it.
“I don’t want to hear your excuses! You lied to me! That’s treason. Don’t you know what they do to people who commit treason? God! You are just as bad as Tess!” Max screamed out of frustration. His heart felt like it had been trampled on. How could she have lied to him all this time?
Liz was scared for her life. He was going to have her executed, she knew it! The look in his eyes scared her, and she knew for her safety she had to run now or else be turned over to the guards. She turned quickly and ran off of the balcony and back into the ballroom.
Max started to chase after her when he felt an arm grab him. He looked at the person who had stopped him, but was surprised to see it was Michael. Michael and Maria stood there staring at him with a look of incredible anger and disappointment.
“We heard everything your highness. How could you do this to her?” Maria screamed at him. Prince or not, he had just destroyed her very fragile sister.
“How could I do this to her? She’s the one who lied to me!” Max fumed. How dare she make him to be the bad guy!
“She did, but you don’t know anything! She loves you! Why else do you think she snuck out here? She certainly wasn’t invited. How could you expect her to tell you that she was a servant when she knows the penalty for lying about your status! You don’t know even a tiny bit about her past!” Maria yelled.
Instead of yelling back at Maria, he soaked in what she said. It was all starting to make more sense now. He had overreacted badly, he knew that now. Oh no. What had he done?
“You know those marks you saw on her arm?” Maria asked. Max nodded. “That isn’t even near as bad as the other scars on her body! Did you even ask her how her father died?” Max shook his head this time, curious what that had to do with anything.
“I’ll put it this way. My mother was extremely jealous of Mr. Parker’s relationship with Liz. One day my mother gave them both drinks. Only one of them survived. I don’t think she intended for him to take that glass, I think he grabbed the wrong one.” Maria said with a tear forming in her eye.
Both Max and Michael were shocked at what Maria was implying. Michael knew that Maria hated her family, but he had no idea that the problems in Maria's family were that extreme. Mrs. Parker had killed Mr. Parker, but had tried to kill Liz instead?
Max felt his heart drop into his feet. His head was swirling at all this horrible information. Thinking about what he had just said to Liz made him want to vomit. He had to find her.
He thanked Maria for the information. He bolted back into the ballroom and pushed past the people. He didn’t stop when he heard his fiancée and parents calling after him. He would deal with them later, for now he had to find Liz before was too late.
If the Shoe Fits (AU,M/L,ADULT) [COMPLETE] 11/03/04
Moderators: Anniepoo98, Rowedog, ISLANDGIRL5, Itzstacie, truelovepooh, FSU/MSW-94, Erina, Hunter, Forum Moderators
Wow, I can not believe I'm posting the last chapter of this story. It breaks my heart to say goodbye to this and to fan fiction as a genre, but it is time for me to move on.
I want to say thank you to everyone who left feedback on this story, and my other story The Water's Edge. Without all your amazing feedback I would not have been inspired to continue. You guys have been so supportive, and I love you all.
One last special thanks to Deejonaise for the challenge itself and the wonderful job she's done beta-ing this story. Dee, you encourage me and taught me so much along the way. There is no way I could have done it without you! Good luck with everything.
Also, for those who are interested, I'll post a section from the first chapter of my new original story (has yet to be titled). Enough talking, onto the conclusion!
Chapter 22
Her feet pounded on the ground. Her heart raced wildly as she brushed the branches away from her face. The sound of her labored breathing and the snapping branches echoed loudly in her ears. How she wished she had her horse with her. Her body ached terribly but she was running for her life; resting would come later if she managed to live.
It was not until she got near the river by her home that she noticed the tears streaming down her face. The ache in her body was on the back burner as the ache in heart increased. She could hear his angry words replay in her head over and over again. For the first time in eight years she had started to feel like she belonged thanks to Maria. She had no idea what she was going to do now, but one thing that plagued her heart was that she would have to leave her father’s home. She would gather her clothes and some of her father’s things, but she would not be able to take much. The guards would know to go to the house, and if she wanted even a chance to escape she would have to pack lightly.
It had hurt her badly to leave her father’s home to go to the palace, but she had hoped to one day return, but after today she would never be able to return. New people would move in eventually and throw out all her father’s things. Living in the house gave her a sense of her father still being around, easing her grief but now she had to say goodbye for good.
His horse dug into the earth with great force. Max willed the horse to go as fast as it could. He had no idea where he was going. At first he followed her footprints, but the ground no longer showed prints. He slowed his horse to a stop. There were two paths in front of him, neither revealing whether it was the right one. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath in. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest. Opening his eyes he looked towards the left path. His heart leapt. He had no idea why, but he knew that was the right way. It had to be.
Liz walked into her home and wasted no time going to her room. She was thankful that there was one last luggage bag in the house; the rest had been taken to the palace. She quickly pushed everything into the bag. She grabbed her bag and was ready to go, but she paused when she looked at the hiding place where her mother’s dress was.
Her eyes welded up with tears again as she looked at the dress. She was not sure if her tears were because it was her mother’s or if it was because it symbolized the hopes and dreams that were crushed. She delicately placed the dress and the one shoe into her bag. Taking one last look around the room she whispered, “Goodbye father. I am sorry.”
She shut the door behind her quietly and wiped her tears away. Turning towards the river she walked. She pushed the overgrown bushes and branches away from her as she moved. As she reached the clearing by the river she sucked in a gasp. Dropping her bag, she bit back a scream.
There standing across the river was a disheveled Max.
He watched as an array of emotions danced across her face. Shock. Fear. Pain. Watching her stand there he was so thankful that he had found her. He had to tell her how he felt, even if she still rejected him. He watched as her eyes flew wildly around as if looking for a way to escape.
“Don’t.” Max commanded softly. He saw her eyes widen as she realized he knew what she intended. “Please, let me explain first.”
“Explain what? Explain how badly I acted? Explain how you are going to take me to my death? If death awaits me then just take me. At least I’ll be able to see my father again.” Liz screamed out in fury, her eyes bursting with tears.
“No, I …” Max started to say as he tried to cross the river. He saw her flinch and take a step back. He stopped his advance. His eyes softened, willing for her to hear him out. He tentatively took another step towards the river. “Please. You’ve crossed this river to get to the palace to be near me, now let me finally cross this river to be near you.”
He watched as her guard was taken down. He took the opportunity to slowly cross the river. Though her body was unmoving, her eyes were glued to his every movement. He only stopped walking when he was right by her side. Gently he placed his hand on the side of her face.
“Liz, I have done a horrible thing to you. I got so caught up in the pain of your deceit that I could not see what was right in front of me.” He spook softly as he looked in to her teary eyes.
“You mean a peasant, a liar, a fraud.” Her voice broke as she said the words. The pain engulfing her was too much for her to handle. She felt like her body would give way at any moment.
“No, I meant a beautiful, intelligent, wonderful woman.” He spoke each word with such intensity and sincerity, that Liz’s eyes widened with shock. She was wonderful? Seeing the shock on her face he realized he had to explain more.
“I was angry that you lied to me, but mostly I was angry with myself. I was mad that I had no realized it sooner. I knew everything about Tessa seemed wrong, but I was too naïve to understand why. I should have realized that the way I felt every time you were in the room was the same feeling that I had when you showed up at the ball that night.”
Tears were now freely streaming down her face. She could not believe that this was happening. Her heart leapt in her chest as he spoke, but she did not want to get hope just yet. “How do you feel when I’m around," she asked quietly.
“Like the air has been kicked out of my lungs. You absolutely take my breath away. Your beauty, both external and internal, radiates wherever you go. You make my heart skip. When you ran out of the palace, both times, it was as if half of me was missing. I thought I would never see you again, and that was the most scared I’ve ever been in my life.” Max was trying not to cry himself as he let his emotions out.
Willing himself to get his emotions under control he looked around the woods. It felt so familiar. It felt like a brick had slammed him in the chest when he realized why he knew these woods. “It was you, wasn’t it? Eight years ago. You were the girl across the river.” Max spoke softly.
Liz’s heart soared knowing that he had remembered her. A smile graced his handsome face, one that could light up a room. “I tried coming back her countless times, but I could never seem to find the right path. Now it seems that fate brought you back to me.”
“So it seems. Maybe you were not meant to find me then. Maybe we were not ready.” Liz spoke wisely. Pondering her words, Max then nodded in agreement. Despite the fact that he knew she was right he couldn’t help but feel guilty that he was not able to rescue her from her family sooner.
“Your family…” Max gritted out in anger. Liz placed her finger on his lips, quieting whatever threats were going to come out of his mouth.
“My stepmother and Tessa were cruel to me in ways that I would not wish upon my worst enemy, but they Maria’s mother and sister. They were horrible, but they are still my family.” Liz spoke honestly. She hated to admit it, but it was the truth.
“But your mother...Maria told me what she did to your father. If for nothing else she needs to be punished!” Max roared as he tried to keep his anger from exploding.
“Then punish them if you will, but please spare their lives. They are still Maria’s family, and taking one life because of another does not make things right. Nothing will change the fact that my father is gone. Nothing.” Liz cried.
Seeing tears spring to her eyes again, he pulled her into a fierce hug. He rubbed her back soothingly. He waited until he heard her sniffles subside when he pulled back slightly. Placing his thumbs on her cheeks, he brushed the remaining tears away. Staring into her eyes he felt his heart expand. Looking into her eyes for almost permission, he lowered his mouth as he saw the same expression in her eyes.
His lips brushed softly over hers as their eyes slowly shut. Their hearts raced as they felt the contact. His hands on her face felt as if there were on fire. The soft kiss intensified. Nervously he ran his tongue on her lips, pleading for entrance. She opened her lips in acceptance. Neither had experience kissing, but they both would say that it felt natural. The couple stood kissing for a few minutes when they broke away from one another, lips swollen and hair slightly ruffled.
“What about Tessa? You are still betrothed to her. What are you going to do?” Liz asked, nervous of his answer.
“Well in order to expose her as a fraud I need the real woman who captured my heart to place her foot in the shoe. We’ll go back to the palace and get it so we can clear this mess up.” He said as he tugged her towards his horse.
“Max, wait. I think I can do better.” Max raised his eyebrow at her comment, watching her head towards her bag. He watched as she pulled out the matching shoe. A smile broke out across his face.
“If you will.” Max pointed towards a long near the river. Liz sat down on the log and raised her foot slightly. Max got down on bended knee with the shoe in hand. Smiling at her he placed the shoe on her foot. A perfect match.
“Elizabeth Parker, you are intelligent, outspoken, brave, and beautiful. The country would prosper with a queen like you, and I would be the luckiest person alive if you would be my wife.” He smiled at her, but was a little nervous she might reject him.
“Of course I will!” Liz beamed. She launched herself into her arms as the two giggled happily; raining small kisses on each other’s faces. He picked her off the ground and twirled her around and around.
Finally setting her down on the ground he brushed the hair out of her face. “You have made me so happy. I love you.” He spoke softly.
“I love you too.” She smiled, giving him a kiss.
“Tessa may have the same shoe size as you, but she could never fit into my life the way that you do. I can not imagine my life without you.” Max said with his voice full of sincerity.
“Well there is this saying that my father used to tell me. If the shoe fits, wear it.” Liz replied with a glint in her eye.
The two grabbed her bag and headed towards the horse. He helped her up on the horse, and then mounted himself as well. They looked at the house before heading back towards the castle. Liz was not sad leaving the house this time because she knew she would be back.
THE END
UNTITLED AS OF YET
I stared out at the carnage in front of me. How did I get here? My life has been a build up to this moment, but why was this so different. I am a warrior. I am the future. I am the one who will bring an end to it all. I am still a scared 6 year old girl screaming for her parents.
Although my destiny has been written before my even conception, I suppose it all started then; when I was six. I was so happy and carefree then, just like every other girl my age. I've wondered a thousand times what would I have done if I had known he was coming for me, but I suppose the answer is that I had no choice. You can't trick someone who knows your future.
To fully explain how I ended up here and now, watching men die left and right around me, I have to go back. Way back. Back to a time when humans only thought of aliens as real only in a science fiction book.
TBC... obviously...if you are interested it will be posted at my message board (see link in signature)
I want to say thank you to everyone who left feedback on this story, and my other story The Water's Edge. Without all your amazing feedback I would not have been inspired to continue. You guys have been so supportive, and I love you all.
One last special thanks to Deejonaise for the challenge itself and the wonderful job she's done beta-ing this story. Dee, you encourage me and taught me so much along the way. There is no way I could have done it without you! Good luck with everything.
Also, for those who are interested, I'll post a section from the first chapter of my new original story (has yet to be titled). Enough talking, onto the conclusion!
Chapter 22
Her feet pounded on the ground. Her heart raced wildly as she brushed the branches away from her face. The sound of her labored breathing and the snapping branches echoed loudly in her ears. How she wished she had her horse with her. Her body ached terribly but she was running for her life; resting would come later if she managed to live.
It was not until she got near the river by her home that she noticed the tears streaming down her face. The ache in her body was on the back burner as the ache in heart increased. She could hear his angry words replay in her head over and over again. For the first time in eight years she had started to feel like she belonged thanks to Maria. She had no idea what she was going to do now, but one thing that plagued her heart was that she would have to leave her father’s home. She would gather her clothes and some of her father’s things, but she would not be able to take much. The guards would know to go to the house, and if she wanted even a chance to escape she would have to pack lightly.
It had hurt her badly to leave her father’s home to go to the palace, but she had hoped to one day return, but after today she would never be able to return. New people would move in eventually and throw out all her father’s things. Living in the house gave her a sense of her father still being around, easing her grief but now she had to say goodbye for good.
His horse dug into the earth with great force. Max willed the horse to go as fast as it could. He had no idea where he was going. At first he followed her footprints, but the ground no longer showed prints. He slowed his horse to a stop. There were two paths in front of him, neither revealing whether it was the right one. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath in. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest. Opening his eyes he looked towards the left path. His heart leapt. He had no idea why, but he knew that was the right way. It had to be.
Liz walked into her home and wasted no time going to her room. She was thankful that there was one last luggage bag in the house; the rest had been taken to the palace. She quickly pushed everything into the bag. She grabbed her bag and was ready to go, but she paused when she looked at the hiding place where her mother’s dress was.
Her eyes welded up with tears again as she looked at the dress. She was not sure if her tears were because it was her mother’s or if it was because it symbolized the hopes and dreams that were crushed. She delicately placed the dress and the one shoe into her bag. Taking one last look around the room she whispered, “Goodbye father. I am sorry.”
She shut the door behind her quietly and wiped her tears away. Turning towards the river she walked. She pushed the overgrown bushes and branches away from her as she moved. As she reached the clearing by the river she sucked in a gasp. Dropping her bag, she bit back a scream.
There standing across the river was a disheveled Max.
He watched as an array of emotions danced across her face. Shock. Fear. Pain. Watching her stand there he was so thankful that he had found her. He had to tell her how he felt, even if she still rejected him. He watched as her eyes flew wildly around as if looking for a way to escape.
“Don’t.” Max commanded softly. He saw her eyes widen as she realized he knew what she intended. “Please, let me explain first.”
“Explain what? Explain how badly I acted? Explain how you are going to take me to my death? If death awaits me then just take me. At least I’ll be able to see my father again.” Liz screamed out in fury, her eyes bursting with tears.
“No, I …” Max started to say as he tried to cross the river. He saw her flinch and take a step back. He stopped his advance. His eyes softened, willing for her to hear him out. He tentatively took another step towards the river. “Please. You’ve crossed this river to get to the palace to be near me, now let me finally cross this river to be near you.”
He watched as her guard was taken down. He took the opportunity to slowly cross the river. Though her body was unmoving, her eyes were glued to his every movement. He only stopped walking when he was right by her side. Gently he placed his hand on the side of her face.
“Liz, I have done a horrible thing to you. I got so caught up in the pain of your deceit that I could not see what was right in front of me.” He spook softly as he looked in to her teary eyes.
“You mean a peasant, a liar, a fraud.” Her voice broke as she said the words. The pain engulfing her was too much for her to handle. She felt like her body would give way at any moment.
“No, I meant a beautiful, intelligent, wonderful woman.” He spoke each word with such intensity and sincerity, that Liz’s eyes widened with shock. She was wonderful? Seeing the shock on her face he realized he had to explain more.
“I was angry that you lied to me, but mostly I was angry with myself. I was mad that I had no realized it sooner. I knew everything about Tessa seemed wrong, but I was too naïve to understand why. I should have realized that the way I felt every time you were in the room was the same feeling that I had when you showed up at the ball that night.”
Tears were now freely streaming down her face. She could not believe that this was happening. Her heart leapt in her chest as he spoke, but she did not want to get hope just yet. “How do you feel when I’m around," she asked quietly.
“Like the air has been kicked out of my lungs. You absolutely take my breath away. Your beauty, both external and internal, radiates wherever you go. You make my heart skip. When you ran out of the palace, both times, it was as if half of me was missing. I thought I would never see you again, and that was the most scared I’ve ever been in my life.” Max was trying not to cry himself as he let his emotions out.
Willing himself to get his emotions under control he looked around the woods. It felt so familiar. It felt like a brick had slammed him in the chest when he realized why he knew these woods. “It was you, wasn’t it? Eight years ago. You were the girl across the river.” Max spoke softly.
Liz’s heart soared knowing that he had remembered her. A smile graced his handsome face, one that could light up a room. “I tried coming back her countless times, but I could never seem to find the right path. Now it seems that fate brought you back to me.”
“So it seems. Maybe you were not meant to find me then. Maybe we were not ready.” Liz spoke wisely. Pondering her words, Max then nodded in agreement. Despite the fact that he knew she was right he couldn’t help but feel guilty that he was not able to rescue her from her family sooner.
“Your family…” Max gritted out in anger. Liz placed her finger on his lips, quieting whatever threats were going to come out of his mouth.
“My stepmother and Tessa were cruel to me in ways that I would not wish upon my worst enemy, but they Maria’s mother and sister. They were horrible, but they are still my family.” Liz spoke honestly. She hated to admit it, but it was the truth.
“But your mother...Maria told me what she did to your father. If for nothing else she needs to be punished!” Max roared as he tried to keep his anger from exploding.
“Then punish them if you will, but please spare their lives. They are still Maria’s family, and taking one life because of another does not make things right. Nothing will change the fact that my father is gone. Nothing.” Liz cried.
Seeing tears spring to her eyes again, he pulled her into a fierce hug. He rubbed her back soothingly. He waited until he heard her sniffles subside when he pulled back slightly. Placing his thumbs on her cheeks, he brushed the remaining tears away. Staring into her eyes he felt his heart expand. Looking into her eyes for almost permission, he lowered his mouth as he saw the same expression in her eyes.
His lips brushed softly over hers as their eyes slowly shut. Their hearts raced as they felt the contact. His hands on her face felt as if there were on fire. The soft kiss intensified. Nervously he ran his tongue on her lips, pleading for entrance. She opened her lips in acceptance. Neither had experience kissing, but they both would say that it felt natural. The couple stood kissing for a few minutes when they broke away from one another, lips swollen and hair slightly ruffled.
“What about Tessa? You are still betrothed to her. What are you going to do?” Liz asked, nervous of his answer.
“Well in order to expose her as a fraud I need the real woman who captured my heart to place her foot in the shoe. We’ll go back to the palace and get it so we can clear this mess up.” He said as he tugged her towards his horse.
“Max, wait. I think I can do better.” Max raised his eyebrow at her comment, watching her head towards her bag. He watched as she pulled out the matching shoe. A smile broke out across his face.
“If you will.” Max pointed towards a long near the river. Liz sat down on the log and raised her foot slightly. Max got down on bended knee with the shoe in hand. Smiling at her he placed the shoe on her foot. A perfect match.
“Elizabeth Parker, you are intelligent, outspoken, brave, and beautiful. The country would prosper with a queen like you, and I would be the luckiest person alive if you would be my wife.” He smiled at her, but was a little nervous she might reject him.
“Of course I will!” Liz beamed. She launched herself into her arms as the two giggled happily; raining small kisses on each other’s faces. He picked her off the ground and twirled her around and around.
Finally setting her down on the ground he brushed the hair out of her face. “You have made me so happy. I love you.” He spoke softly.
“I love you too.” She smiled, giving him a kiss.
“Tessa may have the same shoe size as you, but she could never fit into my life the way that you do. I can not imagine my life without you.” Max said with his voice full of sincerity.
“Well there is this saying that my father used to tell me. If the shoe fits, wear it.” Liz replied with a glint in her eye.
The two grabbed her bag and headed towards the horse. He helped her up on the horse, and then mounted himself as well. They looked at the house before heading back towards the castle. Liz was not sad leaving the house this time because she knew she would be back.
THE END
UNTITLED AS OF YET
I stared out at the carnage in front of me. How did I get here? My life has been a build up to this moment, but why was this so different. I am a warrior. I am the future. I am the one who will bring an end to it all. I am still a scared 6 year old girl screaming for her parents.
Although my destiny has been written before my even conception, I suppose it all started then; when I was six. I was so happy and carefree then, just like every other girl my age. I've wondered a thousand times what would I have done if I had known he was coming for me, but I suppose the answer is that I had no choice. You can't trick someone who knows your future.
To fully explain how I ended up here and now, watching men die left and right around me, I have to go back. Way back. Back to a time when humans only thought of aliens as real only in a science fiction book.
TBC... obviously...if you are interested it will be posted at my message board (see link in signature)