Beyblade Fan Fiction ❯ Majesty ❯ Chapter 13 ( Chapter 13 )

Authoress' Notes: *runs away from angry mob of fans* AH! I swear! What you think happened hasn't! I'm not breaking up the bishies! Read on to find out!!!!

Warnings: Yaoi, language, violence, lemons, dramatic angst, etc. Need more? Too bad, 'cause there isn't any! Rated R - NC17.

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade or anything to do with it. Only this fic and its OC's (if any).

Pairs: TyKa, ReMa, Hilary/Tala? or Kenny?, Lee/Mariah, others to be decided.

Dedication: I dedicate this chapter to Ranma! ^_^ Because I can, and because after this hectic week of dorm and university stuff, you need a TyKa fix! Enjoy!

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Chapter 13

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Tyson leaned against the trunk of the giant oak tree, tears still streaming down his cheeks. Sucking in a sharp breath when his sobbing made him forget to breathe, he gave an angry, frustrated screech of pain, venting his chaotic emotions.

"Argh!" He cried, pulling back his fist and punching the unoffending tree trunk. "What is it with…him? I can't even get away from him out here! His scent…it clings to me, and…Gods! Even to this tree!" An anguished sob escaped and, suddenly unable to stand up anymore, Tyson slid to the ground, curling up against the tree and burying his face in his arms.

It wasn't long before a familiar presence surrounded him and Dragoon was there, in a flood of concern and undisguised fury that was directed at the one who had caused Tyson's pain. In his dragon form, the Guardian of the Kinomiya clan curled around his descendent in an effort to comfort and protect. The bluenette clung to a coil and wept.

{There now, little dragon. You need to stop crying before you make yourself ill.}

{He doesn't want me! After everything…he doesn't want me!} Tyson cried. {Why Dragoon? What did I do?}

{Nothing, Takao. You did nothing to cause this.} Dragoon tried to reassure him, though he got the feeling it wasn't working that well. He ignored the insistent voice of his mate, too, demanding his attention. Or at least, he did until she began threatening to make him sleep outside in the garden. {Do you mind?! I'm trying to comfort my broken-hearted descendent here!}

{Well if you'd just listen to me for a minute you might find we can fix this!} She snapped back.

Dragoon scowled at her mentally. {And why would I want to inflict more torment on Takao by trying to get him to accept that…that…} The furious deity couldn't think of a suitable name for Kai, he was so angry.

{Just for a minute.} Dranzer proceeded to explain things to her mate.

{He just broke Takao's heart because he was scared?! And you want me to…}

{We can't interfere, Dragoon.} Dranzer reminded him calmly. {What we can do is leave them alone to work things out for themselves.}

Dragoon looked up and glared at Kai as he came over the top of the hill towards the tree. Dranzer stopped in the distance and gently pushed him forward.

"Go on, chibi. Dragoon! Come." The fiery little Goddess commanded imperiously.

{But…}

"The gardens…" she threatened.

Pouting, Dragoon uncoiled from around Tyson, who looked up blindly and in confusion as the dragon changed form and stalked off to ward Dranzer, grumbling.

"Dragoon? What…oh." Tyson stared up at Kai for a moment then looked away in shame and anguish. The bluenette sniffed noisily and rubbed at his tear-stained cheeks angrily, embarrassed beyond belief to have been caught crying over Kai by the prince himself.

Not sure where to start, Kai sat down next to him on the mossy, grassy ground and hugged his legs, staring out over the landscape.

There was silence for a time, until it got too unbearable for Tyson and he finally rasped, "Why?"

Kai felt the sting of tears in his eyes at the desolation in Tyson's voice and guilt flooded through him, knowing he was the cause of it. "I…I got scared." He admitted in a choked whisper. "I sat up there, in this tree, this morning…thinking about…everything. And…I got so scared that I was becoming too attached to you, too dependent. I don't…didn't want to know what it would be like if…if something happened to you when we go back and…what if I lost you? I…Gods, Tyson! I don't have anybody left!"

Tyson stared at him in shock. "That's not true! You have Dranzer! And what about Tala, and Bryan…and what about Kenny?"

"It's not the same!" Kai shouted, tears spilling over. "It's not the same! I don't love them like I love you!" The crimson-eyed prince gasped as he realized what he'd just said and began to tremble, unable to stop the flood of tears that came with it.

"Kai…" Tyson was on him in a flash, throwing himself into Kai's arms and clutching his shoulders in a relieved, ecstatic hug. He felt Kai's arms automatically encircle him and hold him to Kai's chest tightly. "Baka! I thought you didn't want me! Damn it! Don't ever do that to me again!" He scolded tearfully, voice muffled by Kai's clothes as he pressed his face into the crook of Kai's neck and inhaled deeply, Kai's scent soothing everything away with a liquid heat that filled him.

"I'm sorry, Ty, I'm so sorry!" Kai murmured hoarsely in his ear. "I do want you, my dragon. So much it hurts sometimes. These past couple of weeks have been so hard without you…"

"I know…beloved, I know." Tyson dropped frantic little kisses against Kai's neck, moving up to nibble on his ear lobe. "Me too. But we're alone here…" A wicked smile crossed his face as he felt Kai's hands move to his waist and begin tugging his shirt out of his pants in response. "Ahhh…kiss me, Kai!"

Kai claimed Tyson's mouth in a heated, desperate kiss. Tyson's lips parted eagerly and accepted Kai's insistent tongue, groaning and duelling back with his own. The dual-haired prince roughly pulled the shirt off his lover and tossed it over his shoulder, not noticing that it caught on a tree branch and hung there like a flag. He couldn't hold still, it seemed, needing to have his hands running over all that exposed creamy, tanned skin.

Every nerve ending burned and tingled under Kai's touch and Tyson purred throatily at the heat flowing in his veins with sensation. With a low growl, he worked quickly to undo the ties of Kai's leather vest and push it off him, then tugged and pulled hurriedly to get his shirt off, never breaking their passionate kiss until he had to yank it over Kai's head - and then he was immediately latched back onto his lover's mouth, sucking and nibbling on the crimson-eyed teen's bottom lip greedily. Tyson swore he was addicted to everything about Kai - his touch, his taste, his scent, all those wonderful little sounds of pleasure he made and even just the smoky quality of his voice.

"Can't…mmm…get enough." The bluenette gasped, needing a taste of the ivory, sweat-slicked skin under his hands and pressed against him so wonderfully. He lowered his head, drawing his mouth down Kai's neck and finding a good spot just below his collarbone where he licked a wet patch, sucking on the spot and lightly grazing the area with his teeth. Kai's head dropped back lethargically and he let out a moan of approval, his larger hands hastily pulling out the tie in Tyson's hair and pushing his fingers into the blue-black locks. Satisfied with that mark of possession, Tyson licked his way farther down Kai's chest as he shoved the older teen to back to lie on the ground. He covered one hard little nipple with his mouth and sucked hard, almost painfully so. Kai arched into the pleasure-pain with a grunt and his fingers tightened in Tyson's hair.

Not resisting the glorious shocks of pleasure spiking through him at the Kinomiya's deftly executed ministrations, Kai suddenly let out a laugh of near joy and giddy, heady ecstasy. Tyson shuddered at the sound and paused, sitting up so he could look down into the passion-filled fires in the prince's now ruby red eyes. Kai's hands left his hair, draped around his face and brushing his shoulders in a thick mass of midnight blue silk, to cruise over naked skin and trace circular patterns with one fingertip around each of Tyson's pointed nipples lazily. The dragon bit his bottom lip and rocked his hips into Kai's, grinding against him. They both let out harsh cries at the friction and both got really impatient, letting go of each other completely to hurriedly get out of their pants and the rest of their clothes.

Naked, they stared at one another, really seeing each other for the first time in the light, where there were no shadows to hide in. Tyson let his eyes slowly devour Kai's form, licking his lips unknowingly with an insatiable hunger that made his eyes turn nearly black with want. "Damn, but you're gorgeous." He rasped darkly, moving to lie back down with Kai under him, covering his body with his own and moaning loudly at the full, skin-on-skin contact. "Never enough…" Came the equally needy mutter just before his mouth captured Kai's once more, his tongue delving deeply and stroking Kai's enticingly, suggestively, giving his lover a preview of what was yet to happen.

When Tyson left his mouth in favour of moving downwards again, Kai took in gasping breaths of air, panting, "Love, please! Uhn…need you so badly!" The prince made a whimpering sound as Tyson's slim but strong fingers wrapped around his aching erection and jerked violently at the feel of the bluenette's tongue touching his glistening tip and tasting the pearly drops of pre-cum he found there. With a pleased smirk, Tyson drove Kai wild by only paying attention to his tip, his hand not moving but simply holding him firmly while he did so. That agile tongue circled the head a few times, then flicked back and forth across the tip, alternately pressing against the slit and happily licking up the expelled liquid when it appeared. Trembling and struggling not to scream in frustration, Kai slid the fingers of one hand into Tyson's hair and fisted a handful, massaging his lover's scalp as he moaned for more, pleaded for release.

His answer was a bit unexpected though. Rather than have mercy on the dual-haired teen, his lover simply swung around, presenting Kai with his own erection and pert backside. Taking the hint without a word, Kai reached up and grasped Tyson firmly in one large hand, squeezing and slowly pumping while his other hand rose to grasp a hip and hold him steady. He heard a mewling cry from Tyson and then the bluenette's hands stroking the soft insides of his legs, coaxing them farther apart. It felt so deliciously wicked to be spread brazenly open to Tyson's eyes, mouth, and questing fingers, and equally delightful to have his beloved dragon just as opened to him.

Kai drew Tyson down and took his leaking erection into his mouth, sucking lightly and earning a startled squeak from his lover - before he found himself engulfed in hot, wet suction and a hand cupping and plying with his balls. The hand on Tyson's hip moved on its own to mimic the actions of the bluenette's hand until Kai had an idea for something better than that. He took Tyson's length from his mouth, feeling the barely leashed load and the heavy, frantic beat of Tyson's pulse in his hand. Tyson left off the absolutely pleasurable sucking long enough to growl his name in question.

"Kai?"

In answer, Kai sucked his own fingers on one hand into his mouth, getting them as wet and slick as he could before taking them out and gently rubbing at the rosy, puckered entrance of Tyson's ass and carefully sliding a finger in. He shivered, watching with heavy-lidded eyes as his finger was swallowed by the tight ring of muscle easily. He heard his lover make a yowling, gasping noise and was suddenly once again sheathed in the liquid heat of Tyson's mouth. Continuing to slide his finger in and out to stretch the bluenette out a bit more so he could add a second finger, Kai used his other hand to direct Tyson's tip back to his mouth again, mercilessly teasing him as he added yet a third finger and felt tremors begin to make Tyson's body vibrate above him. Kai could feel his own orgasm coming on fast as his lover's mouth continued to work him higher and higher.

And then he felt Tyson's finger plunge into him and he released Tyson from his mouth to let out a cry of pure pleasure as his release crashed through him in waves.

Tyson felt Kai's fingers brush something deep inside of him just as he felt a sudden chill on his erection when it was exposed to the air rather than Kai's hot mouth and let go, diving into his own orgasm as he swallowed down his lover's thick, sort of salty-sweet cum hungrily.

Kai removed his fingers and managed to take hold of Tyson once more just in time to catch the last few spurts of cum with his mouth. The rest had gotten him in the face and chest.

Collapsing breathlessly for a moment, Tyson buried his face against the inside of one of Kai's legs and grinned, breaking into an unrestrained purr. He heard a chuckle and levered himself up to turn around and hover eye-to-eye with his soon to be mate, still grinning.

"Hmm…" Kai smirked up at him, licking his lips and wiping the white stickiness off his face with one hand, slowly, deliberately licking it off his hand as Tyson watched with hot eyes. "You taste delicious lover." Tyson raised an eyebrow and with a wicked glint in his eyes, ducked his head to sweep his tongue across the white drops on Kai's chest in a few cleaning licks.

"So I do." He agreed huskily. "But I think you taste better, my love." Tyson rubbed his lips across Kai's and flicked his tongue over the bottom one playfully. "But I'm not nearly done with you yet." He purred seductively in Kai's ear, nibbling at the lobe. Kai shivered under him and stroked a hand up and down Tyson's spine.

"What do you want?" Kai asked huskily, the fingers of one of his hands intertwining with the fingers of one of Tyson's hands next to his head as he stared up into shiny, midnight blue depths and drowned there willingly.

"Tell me again, my phoenix." Tyson whispered, rubbing his cheek against Kai's affectionately then nudging his nose against Kai's, their lips brushing feather-light and feeling each other's breaths on their faces. "Say it once more for me and I'll tell you what I want."

Their eyes met and held, and Kai finally spoke the words Tyson had been longing to hear for what seemed like forever.

"I love you, Kinomiya Takao. With all my heart, and spirit, I love you."

Placing a soft butterfly kiss at the corner of Kai's mouth, Tyson trembled with emotion as he was finally able to return the words. "I love you, Kai Hiwatari. Heart, mind, body, and spirit, too. Gods, how I love you!" His mouth sought Kai's once more, entwined fingers tightening as he found it and their eyes slid shut, sweet sensations of pleasure muted by relief and a shared love so deep it was a wonder that it was contained by their bodies when it felt as if they should explode with it.

Just as their kiss turned back into burning passion and lust once more and one of Kai's legs wrapped around Tyson's waist, an amused and relieved chuckle interrupted them.

Tyson tore his mouth away, breathing hard, and dropped his forehead to Kai's shoulder with a snarl, not caring that he was bare-assed naked - since what would be the point, really? Kai sucked in air and glared at the two highly amused deities standing over them.

"You tow have really lousy timing, you know that?"

"We're sorry, Kai, but we figured you would rather not be discovered in this condition, and making out like bunnies." Dranzer giggled.

Tyson's head shot up. "There's someone coming?" He scrambled away from Kai and looked around for his clothes. Kai grabbed his pants and tugged them on hastily, scowling unhappily. They had been so close…

"Now where's my shirt?!" The bluenette looked around frantically, back in his pants and boots with his hair still loosely draped around him. Kai shrugged into his own shirt and picked up his vest, but didn't bother doing up the ties, getting up to help Tyson get his shirt down from the tree. "Oh! Thanks…how'd it get up there, anyway?"

Kai smiled a bit, but didn't answer. Instead, he leaned against the tree and watched Tyson struggle to put the shirt back on. "Need some help, love? You look like you're having troubles."

"Thank you, but no." Tyson managed to get himself into it and went up to his lover with a fond smile. "I'll never get tired of hearing you say that, you know."

Kai lifted a hand and combed his fingers through Tyson's hair. "Believe it or not, I'm finding it's not so hard to say any more. It'll just take a little getting used to, that's all."

"Heh." Tyson grinned, leaning in close, and Kai's hand in his air moved to clasp the back of his neck.

"About before, Tyson…" Kai began. The dragon shook his head and laid a finger over his lips to shush him.

"Let's just forget it, my love. Everyone gets scared sometimes when faced with a new situation - especially the ones involving love." Tyson rubbed his thumb-pad over Kai's bottom lip. "I'll let you in on a secret - I was scared, too. And I still am."

Kai stared at him with slightly wide eyes. "Why?"

"Remember how I had said once that I couldn't see how we could possibly make this work? How the future was just so unfathomable right now? Well, that's why. I still don't have a clue. And I'm afraid for many of the same reasons you are, Kai." The dragon looked into his crimson eyes with all the love he felt shining in his own. "But I wasn't raised to give up on something just because I'm scared of the unknown."

"Neither was I." Kai shook his head. "And that's just what I did. I'm sorry, Tyson, for going back on that promise I made to you."

Tyson waved that off. "Nah. You just stepped off the path for a small detour, love. It doesn't matter anymore."

"So we're okay then?" Kai asked hesitantly, needing the confirmation.

"Better than that." Tyson assured him, closing the distance between them to kiss Kai softly but thoroughly, stealing the prince's breath and pressing him back against the tree trunk as he lazily explored Kai's mouth with a happy little purr.

A loud, deliberate coughing broke them apart before either could forget their Guardians' warning and finish what they'd started earlier.

Tyson looked at the interruption and his eyes narrowed on his best friend.

"Max! That's the second time you've gone and wrecked the moment. This better not become a habit!"

Max beamed at him. "It's not intentional, pal. I swear! I came looking for you at Hilary's request, in fact."

Tyson sighed and leaned into his lover as Kai's arms encircled his waist from behind and pulled him back against the prince's muscular chest. "What does she want now?"

"Well, when she ordered me to come get you, she was yelling at Bryan and Tala for Tala not being in bed upstairs, and Bryan had said you and he had only brought Tala down for a few minutes but then you had an argument or something with Kai and ran off…"

Kai held up a hand. "Okay, Max. We get it. I guess we should head back, Tyson." He felt a shudder run through his lover.

"Must we? Hilary's scary when she's yelling at you." Tyson screwed up his face and Kai chuckled, hugging him tightly from behind.

"I'll protect you." He teased.

"Gee. I feel so much better now."

Max just kept smiling as he walked home with them, wondering exactly what had happened while the others had been gone and he'd been in his workshop. Tala and Bryan had been discussing all kinds of possibilities about what was going on between Kai and Tyson when Max had come home - apparently not long after Kai had been dragged off by Dranzer to find Tyson. But from how he'd found them, Max guessed they'd made up.

"Hey!" Tyson stopped walking suddenly, looking around. "I just realized we're missing two deities. Where'd they go?"

"Don't worry about them, Kinomiya." Kai took his hand and pulled the bluenette along. "They're probably already back at the house."

"I guess."

{We're fine, Takao.} Tyson heard in his head. {We'll be…around. Don't wait up!}

{Oh, geez. I didn't need that idea planted in my brain!} Tyson groaned and rolled his eyes. Kai glanced at him in question. "It's nothing, beloved." He reassured the prince, figuring Kai really wouldn't want to know anyway.

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Crisis averted, the remainder of the summer breezed by at a lazy pace. Tala healed almost completely by the time Kai began to get impatient and started making plans to return to Bay City and get the whole thing over with before the snows fell.

And Tyson and Kai still hadn't gotten to finish what they'd started under that tree, much to both their frustration and longing.

Once evening, as the sun disappeared earlier than it usually did, indicating the change of season rapidly approaching, Tyson sat on the kitchen floor with Tabitha, rolling a ball to her and catching it when she pushed it back to her. Kai was sitting at the kitchen table with a map of the world spread out in front of him, Tala across from him, as both studied it carefully. Max had gone with Rei to the bathhouse and Kenny was cleaning up the supper dishes. Over at the other end of the table, Hilary and Bryan had begun a game of chess.

"I don't know, Tala. I think it would be easier if se went into the city by the same way we left." Kai mused, frowning at the map.

"That would be great, cousin, except for one little problem. No doubt Boris has had that secret door sealed by now." The redhead pointed out, dryly.

"Please. You think that's the only door like that?" Kai returned, smugly.

"I guess I should have known better."

"Hn."

"Well, fine. So we go in another door. Still, what do you intend to do when you're back inside the city? You can't just walk up to the Palace doors and knock."

"No. That would be a death-wish, even if some of the army and the Royal Guards are still loyal to the Hiwatari family." Kai agreed.

"You think there might still be some who are?" Tala wondered, looking thoughtful.

"Yes…maybe not that many, but a few. What are you scheming, Tala?"

"Just a thought, but if we could convince most of the Royal Guards, at least, that Boris is evil, you're no traitor, and that Boris is occupying your throne without any true claim, then perhaps it wouldn't matter about the rest of the army."

"Go on." Kai leaned forward in interest, and even Bryan and Hilary had paused their game to listen in.

"The Palace itself used to be a fortress, back in the day, before the rest of the city sprung up all around it, right?"

"Yes."

"Then all we need is the Royal Guards. The rest of the Empire's army is stationed at different garrisons around the city, but not in the Palace. We Royal Guards are the Palace garrison, in truth." Bryan put in, picking up on Tala's idea quickly. "I see where you're going with this, Tala."

Tala gave him a side-glance. "You really do know me too well, Bry."

"It's not that hard to see where your train of thought leads to, you know."

"You think that once we're inside, and we gain the support of the Guards, that we'd be able to just…what? Shut the gates and keep everyone else out - as well as keep everyone inside the Palace in?" Kai blinked, thinking that over. "Okay. That has merit."

"Of course it does." Tala crossed his arms indignantly. "It won't be easy, though. And no doubt there will be a fight or two to get to Boris and kick his ass." He glanced at Hilary. "Pardon my language."

The brunette waved a hand dismissively, getting up to give Kenny a hand with the dishes. "Believe me, I've heard worse out of Takao, my Lord."

Kai turned in his seat and looked down at his lover and the giggling chibi. "What do you think, Kinomiya? Do you have any suggestions for all this?"

Tyson passed the ball to Tabitha and got to his feet, bending down to pick her up before she crawled off somewhere on him. Now that she'd begun to crawl, it was harder to keep an eye on her. The bluenette took a seat next to Kai, hip to hip and legs pressed together, settling Tabitha on his opposite knee with an arm around her to keep her seated safely.

"It sounded fine to me, Kai. I'm not worried so much about getting into the Palace. It's what we're going to do once we get there that bothers me." Tyson looked down at the map, his eyes sadly tracing the line that indicated where the border between the Empire and the lands of the Dragon Clans had once been.

The crimson-eyed prince slid an arm around his lower back in a slight hug. "Trust me."

Max and Rei came back in then, hair still damp and dripping, and made their way to the stairs.

"We'll be back in a minute, guys." Max told them. "We just need to change clothes since we forgot to bring clean ones with us before."

"How's Tabi?" Rei asked. "Is she getting fussy yet?"

"Nah. She's an angel." Tyson grinned and looked down at her. The chibi, however, was staring at Kai with her big, feline eyes. Suddenly, as babies sometimes do, she leaned to the side abruptly with her arms outstretched toward the dual-haired prince, her chubby fists clenching and unclenching as if to grab onto something. And then…

"Kai!" Tabitha demanded, her tail waving behind her, startling everyone out of their wits.

"Oh my God! Rei! Did she just…?" Max cried in shock.

"I think she did!" Rei grinned, watching in amusement as Tabitha struggled to free herself from Tyson and crawl to Kai, who stared down at her with a variety of emotions mixing on his face, giving him a comical look of disbelief.

"Kai!!" The chibi declared again, a bit more imperiously this time. Max sniffled and beamed, proud as could be.

"Her first word!" He sighed. "Aww…"

Tala was trying really hard not to burst out laughing at his reluctant cousin as Tyson gave in and presented Tabitha to Kai, the baby wriggling for all she was worth insistently.

"Ah…Tyson…" Kai made a noise of consternation as he gingerly held her in front of him. "Why do you people keep giving her to me? I'm not very good with babies!"

"She likes you, beloved." Tyson chuckled, his eyes going soft as the chibi squealed in delight and began to purr unabashedly. Her tail curled around Kai's wrist, winning a small smile from the dual-haired teen. "If you just cuddle her, Kai, she'll probably fall right to sleep."

A pained look crossed the prince's face. " 'Cuddle?'"

Tala snickered and Bryan elbowed him in the side.

"Sure! Come on, Kai…it's good practice." Tyson helped him settle the chibi onto Kai's shoulder, her head resting there and her small hands fisted in his shirt.

"What for?! Tyson…"

Dranzer suddenly appeared, Dragoon beside her. "Kai, just hold her. She won't bite you, for heaven's sake."

"Takao is right. It is good practice." Dragoon added.

"Practice for what?! I can't have children…Tyson can't either!" Kai went pale at the very thought. "Can we?"

Dranzer clucked soothingly. "Honestly? I don't know. But Kai…don't you want to have children of your own someday?"

"Not personally!" The idea of giving birth himself absolutely horrified him.

"Calm down, beloved." Tyson hushed him. "You're freaking out over something that may or may not happen - and hasn't yet." The bluenette sweatdropped.

Kai flushed and stared hard at the tabletop. He glanced down awkwardly at the child curled against him and, unwillingly, felt himself relax. Purring quietly now, satisfied she had what she wanted, Tabitha let out a soft sigh before sticking a thumb in her mouth and closing her eyes to promptly fall asleep.

Amazed, Rei padded over and pried her away from Kai. "I'll take her up now. Whatever it is about you she likes so much, I don't know. But I wish I could bottle it and keep it for the times she won't cooperate and sleep when she's supposed to."

"Believe me, Rei, I don't have a clue why she's so attached to me." Kai responded.

Tala yawned and stretched. "Are we done for tonight then, cousin?" He asked as Rei and Max went upstairs with Tabitha.

"I guess. It's getting late, anyway."

Tyson stood and took his lover's hand, puling him to his feet. "Let's go take advantage of the bathhouse, Kai."

"Hn." The prince let him drag him to the door.

"In case we don't see anyone before morning again, good night!" Tyson waved over his shoulder.

Bryan helped Hilary clean up the chessboard and put it away, then followed Kenny out to the stable apartment for bed.

Tala quietly followed Hilary upstairs and stopped her just before she went into her room.

"I don't think I ever thanked you for all you've done for me, Lady Hilary."

She stared up into ice-blue eyes in mild surprise. "It's not necessary, my Lord. You needed help, and I gave it. It's what we healers do."

"Perhaps. But you really have gone above and beyond your duty." He took her hand and held it between his. "You saved my life, treated all my wounds, and made sure I didn't get ill from them. You sat at my bedside day and night, keeping watch over me when I couldn't move on my own and when I was unconscious. Even after I was better, you didn't abandon me to myself and kept me company while I continued to heal, though I'm sure you had better things to do then sit around and listen to me complain." Raising her hand, he placed a soft kiss to the back of it, lingering there a little longer than a simple 'thank you' and making her blush beautifully. But she didn't pull her hand away.

"Well…I…" She stammered, lowering her gaze and feeling her heart thump in her chest. "You're welcome, my Lord."

"The name is Tala. Just Tala, please."

Looking up at him and bestowing that smile he'd become so very enamoured of, she replied, "Then you must call me Hilary, Tala."

"It would be my absolute pleasure, Hilary." Tala bent and brushed a quick kiss over her cheek before letting go of her hand and turning to go to his own room. "Good night."

"Good night…"

A moment later, in each of their rooms behind closed doors, two teens let out sighs of giddy excitement and grinned to themselves.

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Authoress' Notes: See?! I told you so! *sighs dramatically* No faith… Please R/R!