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"True," he told her, "But the problem lies in what we find. I can tell if it's poisonous or not." he smiled. Not only did he have a fabulous sense of smell, and tolerance for poison, but he also studied a bit of botany in his days.
He began walking the overgrown path and looked around for anything they could eat. Eventually, he spotted several different berry bushes clustered together, "Ah, here we are. Over, here, Fatima!" he said, pointing to the clusters, we're in luck." he smiled, "Can you guess which ones are poison? Point them out." he suggested, just for a game. He had no intention of letting her actually EAT the poison ones. |
Upon following him towards the bushes, she was surprised that he wasn't going to tell her what poisonous ones were right away. "Hm..." Fatima thought to herself for a moment as she tried to think this through. "I read that the poisonous ones are usually very bright, such as... that bush over there..." She stated, pointing to the bush with little clusters of bright red berries.
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He smiled and nodded, "Very good." He looked at her, "Those are indeed the poison ones."
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"Good..." Fatima nodded. "...And the others? Are there any more poisonous kinds, or are we safe to eat them yet...?" She asked, though out of a naive need to check if it was alright; she was a bit nervous, letting someone who could tell what was safe or not leave her alone to determine what was okay to eat...
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He smiled at her, slightly impressed that she knew enough to determine the poison one right away. Kyan could sense a little fear in her, and immediately-and subconsciously- he gently stroked her cheek briefly, "Do not worry, Fatima, I wouldn't let you eat one of the poisonous ones." At this point, Kyan wasn't even thinking how it would ruin is meal for later, he wasn't thinking that at all. He was genuinely concerned for Fatima. He looked back to the berries, "Those are the only poisonous ones, but the little yellow ones next to it I wouldn't recommend either. They're not poisonous, but they're so under-ripe that they could make you sick, so stick to the others." he smiled, moving closer and picking some off the bushes that were safe to chose from. He took only a couple of each and handed them back to Fatima, "See which ones you like first." he smiled, as he handed them off.
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Fatima looked at the berries that he gave her, before she began to put one of each at a time in her mouth. One of them tasted rather sweet, while the other had a tangy, almost tart taste. She waited for a moment, before she put both berries into her mouth... for some reason, the overall taste of both of them was really good. "Ah... I like both of them, actually..." She answered after the taste-test, with a light blush she couldn't resist letting show up.
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He smiled at her, "Alright." He grabbed a handful of each of the two types of berries and passed them off to her, "Here you are." he said. Then he moved back to the bush and picked his own. He knew what both of them tasted like, and like Fatima, he preferred them both together.
He grabbed his own and turned back to her, "So, should we eat and run?" he smiled a little at his own stupid joke. They did need to get going though. Kyan had no idea if the guards would be after him; they probably thought Fatima was already dead, but Kyan they would definitely want back so he couldn't reclaim the throne- which he fully intended to do. |
Fatima recieved the bunch of berries that he picked for her. She began eating a few more of the berries as she couldn't help but give a slight smirk at his joke. "Sure..." She nodded. She felt it best if they hurried, even if he didn't tell her. The lord of the place they left could of gotten onto them, regardless of some other possibilities.
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Kyan smiled and laughed a little, "Alright." he walked out from the berry bushes and to her on the path. He looked down the path, and it didn't seem to long, unless there was a turn down where he couldn't see. He shrugged mentally and began walking in the direction they were originally headed. As Kyan walked, he glanced at her, "Uhm, Fatima?" he paused a moment, "Even though I don't remember it happening, I need to know... Did you mean what you said about needing me... and the kiss... you... liked it?" he had to know the answer. There was something in him that, even though he had planned to kill her, he wanted her to need him, and to have liked the kiss. 'Well, she couldn't hate it to have done it again...' he mused, but he wanted to hear her say it... or even tell him he was wrong. He had to figure out what to do, and needed the answer to do so.
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Fatima paused, even from eating as he asked her those questions. It was only a brief moment before a blush appeared on her cheeks as well. Finally, she breathed in deep and finally spoke.
"Yes... Yes, I did mean that I needed you, and I did like the kiss.." She finally confessed. "The thing is, I know my father wants me to marry someone so that I could continue the family's lineage, or at the very least merge kingdoms with another. While I refused that prince's proposal, it was later that I realized that I can't go on a lone woman forever, or else my father would find a replacement. What's more, since you were the original prince of that kingdom, and that you displayed your affections in that strange way... I... I..." As she spoke, the blush on her face grew deeper and deeper. The stutter was when she just couldn't take it anymore; she put the remainder of the barries on her skirt which she held up with one hand to use as a makeshift basket, right before she took a side of Kyan's face, and pressed her lips against his. All while she was still blushing. |
Kyan listened as Fatima spoke, the discourage growing in him as she went on... then he heard the last part. He stopped and turned to look at her quickly, about to ask her what she meant. Yes, he was the original heir to the kingdom, technically, he was the only legitimate one left... did that mean Fatima still wanted... to merge with the kingdom... through him?
Before he could ask, Fatima's hand was on his face. Kyan froze briefly, but leaned down to return the kiss. He slipped one hand around to the small of her back and left the other upon her waist, trying not to squish the berries between them. For intents and purposes, it seemed the answer to Kyan's question was a 'yes', but he still had to be one-hundred-percent sure, "Does this mean you... and I... you want to...?" no matter how hard Kyan tried, he couldn't get the full question out. He looked down at the ground, and felt the heat in his cheeks, which assured him they were a scarlet color. |
Hearing Kyan's question, she was certain that he might of meant that she wanted to marry him. And so, she gave a very eager nod. "Yes! Absolutely!" She still had the blush on her own face as well. "I'm sure father would agree to this if it meant that we'd merge the kingdoms, as he originally intended."
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He looked her in the eye, smiling a little, "That's really what you want? You want to... marry me?" he asked softly, searching her eyes to see if she was sincere, "Does that mean... does that mean you... love me?" he swallowed hard. This wasn't the first time a girl said they loved him, but all the others were puppy love, and this one was quite serious, it seemed. This time was different... this was talk of marriage, and.. Kyan couldn't be sure why, but his heart leaped at the idea of marrying Fatima. He couldn't actually love her, could he...? He was supposed to kill her...
He leaned his face to hers and kissed her again, a bit more passionately. Kyan needed to see if... at that moment, the warmth flowed through his body. He couldn't be... Kyan pulled away to look at her, "Do you really love me, or is this because it's what your father wants?" |
Fatima's eyes remained locked with Kyan's, even as she nodded. She could sense some uncertainty in him for some reason, and she couldn't blame him; she felt it to be rushed, too, once she thought of it, but on the other hand, she really did feel certain that she wanted to marry him... that she loved him...
She allowed him to kiss her again, and at that, she returned the passionate kiss. Then, she felt her heart jump a little as well as... that pull again; this time it was more of a faint, light and relieving buzz this time. She then looked into his eyes again as she gave a confident smile. "Yes... I really do love you... Kyan..." |
She kissed him back and said she really did love him, but what got him most was when she said his name. For some reason, that was what pulled at his heartstrings. He wasn't sure if he could carry out the plan now... No, no he couldn't do that. He couldn't hurt Fatima... but there was so much she didn't know about him, or about what she would be doing if she married him.
His eyes softened, and he ran a hand through her hair, then kissed her forehead, "Oh Fatima... I lo- I love you too. Nothing would make me happier than to marry you... but I cannot do that." he said. His first thought, of course, was to lie to her, to tell her he didn't want to marry her at all, maybe even convince her he didn't love her, but Kyan didn't want to do that. Kyan didn't want to hurt her that way. It was better this way, hurting her with the truth. It was for her safety. Kyan couldn't marry her into a Dragon Kingdom... He couldn't merge her kingdom with his, who knew what would happen to the regular people? Plus, what would happen when Kyan and Fatima had children?- it was inevitable, when ruling over kingdoms. Kyan couldn't tell her what he was... it would frighten her, and he would never see her again. Or worse, when she got back to her kingdom, if she told her father what they were, the king would probably attack Kyan's kingdom. Still, he wished he could make her happy, and keep her by his side. Kyan wanted to be able to tell her all about him, tell her everything, but he just couldn't. He couldn't risk his and his peoples' lives like that... "Fatima, I am so sorry it has to be this way. There is just... there is just so much you do not know about me, and that I cannot tell you. I could not allow you to enter a marriage with me without knowing..." he held her close to him, resting his head against hers, "I love you, but we cannot be together." he told her. After all these many, many years, Kyan was finally letting his emotions show. His eyes stung and watered, and a tear or two fell from his left eye. Kyan hated what he had to do. He had to bring her back to her father, and never see her again... |
'Kyan..." She said again, looking said as she heard him say those words. She felt a bit hurt herself; she did want to marry him, even if she knew these things that he didn't want to tell her...
Then she felt it again; it was the same, buzz-like pull to her mind, only a bit stronger... She decided she must know about this secret that might prevent the marriage. "Kyan..." She said again, this time pulling away from him, but only enough to place a hand on his shoulder. "Kyan... I do want us to be together... In fact... even if I knew what you can't tell me, I will want us to be together..." And with that, she tried to smile as she looked into his eyes. "I promise..." |
He moved away from her, laughing a little, "Oh, no, no you would not." HE knew it, he was dead-sure that if she knew he was half dragon, and what that meant, she wouldn't want to be anywhere near him. He ate people, it was part of their diet. She couldn't be told that and be expected to say. Granted, Kyan could change his diet and the diet of the kingdom, setting humans and humanoids off limits, but for many MANY years that had been their- had been his diet, she couldn't forgive him that. She would run as soon as he told her, he knew it.
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Fatima looked even more hurt as he stepped away from her, laughing. "I would not...? How come...?" She asked him, taking one small step towards him. She loved him very much, and she also didn't want to lose him, her one chance to truly satisfy her father's desire to unite their kingdoms. If not, he would simply send her back to that prince, regardless of whether or not she told him the story of what he did. What's more, Fatima would be truly wounded by Kyan's abandonment...
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Kyan shook his head, it was hurting him as much, if not more than, it was her. He shook his head again, "I cannot tell you... It is for your safety, Fatima, we cannot get married..." he said. He looked at her, the tears falling again. "I... I do not want to hurt you..."
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Now Fatima truly was hurt. "Even if it means giving me away to..?" She began to ask, but trailed off. Instead, she gave a sad sigh as she lowered her head, depressed. She thought she would actually find happiness in Kyan, the one she actually found herself truly in love with. But if he didn't want them to marry...
What was worse was that she didn't even know what to do if her father didn't believe the story of what happened to her, even after a long trip alone with him... The last thing she wanted was to simply be sent back to that prince, or sent to be arranged to marry someone possibly even worse... |
Kyan was confused by her words. Giving her away to who? The other prince? Kyan's thoughts began to flood. Was the only reason she wanted to marry him so she wouldn't disappoint her father and not have to marry that womanizing prince? He had to ask, "Fatima, you do not only want to marry me because you do not want to marry the other prince, right? You are not suggesting you and I get married so we don't disappoint your father, are you? he looked straight at her, his eye brows furrowed.
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She looked on a bit in surprise, but then lowered her head. "It's not just that... I... I shouldn't have said anything..." And with that, she began to turn around a little, a bit more hurt because of that. She didn't want to make herself out to be greedy... but then again, she was sheltered, not knowing very much about how 'love' truly was...
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Kyan stepped closer to her, "Fatima, what is it? If it's not your father pressuring you, then what is it? You said you love me, but now you are acting like this is a business transaction." he explained how he saw it to her, "So which is it?"
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"I... I am sorry for making you think it was buisness..." She sighed. "...I... I have never loved anyone before... but now... I may never will..." She started to shed her own tears. "Maybe... maybe you're right; maybe we shouldn't marry..." She began to choke.
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Kyan didn't know what to say, and instead of being able to think about it, he moved by instinct. He moved behind her and slipped his arms around her waist, "Fatima, do not say that... I love you, I do... but I know you will not love me back when... if I told you, you would hate me..." he said.
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