Shared Secrets

[Theoren Roullier]

OOC NOTE: This thread is being retroactively posted. It occured before Theoren and Amariette left for the Athrobian Jungle.

-High Queen- Kahlan Lothair Time seemed to fly when the seasons changed. A brittle leaf falls from a nearby tree and Kahlan allows a small smile, seasons came and went and still she stayed the same. Willow, her beautiful and knowing little girl, was with Aerillia at Dun Dalgan so that she might help the older woman get settled. It was days like this that, when Willow was younger, Kahlan would hold her close and tell her stories. Deep inside it felt as if a part of her was missing. Expelling a soft sigh which immediately frosts over in the air before her, Kahlan closes her eyes and hums softly. Standing in the sunshine on the back veranda the High Queen looks like a winter dove with her white and black fur cloak keeping her warm. Long fingers stroke the fur cloak gently as she hums a light tune as the <C>
-High Queen- Kahlan Lothair Wind blows in gusts as if gathering its strength to blow the impregnable fortress of Emain Macha down. Gathering a fist full of skirts which cannot be seen for the fur cloak, Kahlan begins a short journey across the open expanse of ornamental gardens to a special alcove. Once there she presses a slender hand against one stone that looks older than the rest, but only just so that it doesnt appear to stand out. The stone groans in contempt and a locking mechanism grinds to life as it battles with an age of being unused and in the back of her mind, Kahlan hopes that the staircase is not in total disrepair. The outlines of a door begin to emerge and fold in upon themselves as a doorway starts to take shape. Once large enough to fit through, Kahlan darts into the dank interor of a <C>
-High Queen- Kahlan Lothair Stairwell. The warm rush of air soothes the ache in her old bones and slowly she takes to the stairs with great care. It seems ages before she reaches the bottom and once she does the wealth of warm air has done its uplifting work and she feels almost whole again as she reaches for a great wooden door. The door is marked with age and hundreds of thousands of small things are etched into the wood to make it one big mural. Anyone with an inquisitive eye might find that this door is actually imbedded into the trunk of a great tree that twenty large men holding hands could not encompass if they tried their hardest. "It has been so long..." Kahlan's words are hardly but a hushed whisper as she finds the courage to push the door open. When she does the reward is great. Leaving the <C>
-High Queen- Kahlan Lothair Leaving the door ajar, Kahlan presses one slippered foot against a lush carpet of emerald green grass and then the other. Drawing on the strength of the beauty around her, Kahlan can do nothing but show abject joy in her eyes and in the sparkle of her skin. Pulling the fur cloak away from her person, Kahlan drapes it over the low hanging branch of an old Oak tree. Dressed in a long pale blue dress that adheres to her form to show her curves without being suggestive, Kahlan reaches up and pulls the pin out of her hair so that it falls in waves of gentle swooping curls that frame her smooth and young looking face. Her secret garden still recognized her! Only a select few were ever privvy to the knowledge of this garden's existence underground and on a separate plane of existence, <C>
-High Queen- Kahlan Lothair And only a few could find her. Long lashes frame a very fair and happy pair of blue green eyes. Settling on a patch of sunny and warm grass atop a gentle rising knoll, Kahlan bathes in the sunlight in total submission to the strength, beauty, and old magic of the place. <E>

Theo: *The long black wool coat he wore over his usual silk and pressed pants combination did him justice. He had shaved, bathed, and neatly pulled back his hair before getting dressed, today looking the professional he sometimes was forced to be. That, and he did indeed want to look presentable for the woman he was following. Kahlan had gone for a stroll the guards had told him, skittish as they were around him. Sometimes it weighed on him how bad his reputation for being malevolent and hot headed had gotten. Theoren was really, deep down, the man who cared too much and was forced to act as if he didn't care at all. Centuries of outcry against God, becoming the host of a malicious entity, and being bred in his human life as a murderer and a thief<c>*
Theo: *<c> had taken its toll on his weary, darkened soul. He still lay awake sometimes wondering if he truly did deserve what he was getting, and at the same time he felt numb to it all, resigned that if he would never again see heaven that he would be a ruler on earth. He had fulfilled that prophecy well with the amount of power he had amassed. Still, it wasn't good enough. Nothing ever was. Even Aerillia, the mother of his child and supposed consort stirred very little emotion in him. It was only his time spent with his surrogate niece, Willow, and even moreso the time spent with Kahlan Lothair herself that could rouse him the slightest bit from his darkened world. Perhaps it was because Kahlan knew, she understood, she had seen what he was<c>*
Theo: *<c> and still she had not turned from him. Perhaps that was why he followed her now through the maze she was running through to get away from the world. Theoren felt a pressing need to confess to her, tell her what he was planning to do, explain why he had become so evil. Or maybe she already knew? With Kahlan, it was hard to tell, but he would say what he needed to anyhow, even for him if not for them both. He slipped along behind her to the oaktree, the only thing even denoting that he was there was the puffs of air every time he exhaled into the cold Ulsterian winter atmosphere. After he was sure that she was gone he followed through the secret door. What he saw on the otherside was startling to say the least, but when in Rome...<c>*
Theo: *<c> When he approached her he was sans coat, sleeves of a turquoise button down rolled up above the elbows with it neatly tucked into black belted pants. He smiled, just a tad, a sad smile that was obviously forced. All he could think of as he watched her was how much he was going to miss her, and how much it would hurt to have to tell her about what he was going to do... but never the less, he stayed silent, just standing above her.<fin>*

[Theoren Roullier]

-High Queen- Kahlan Lothair The ever growing press of another entity in her presence and the whispers of the trees, these old blessed trees, force Kahlan's eyes open. When she is greeted by Theoren's figure she is not surprised but rather slightly delighted, though she refrains from showing it on her face. There is a moment of silence between them both as Kahlan studies the man that Theoren has become and he likewise must be studying the woman that she is and must be by having access to such a grand place as this. After a moment which seems like an eternity, Kahlan rises to a seated position and pulls her slippers off of dainty feet and sets them aside, drawing her knees to her chest and motioning for Theo to sit next to her. There could be no measure put on the comfort she felt with this man. He knew her <C>
-High Queen- Kahlan Lothair Secret, and she knew his. Many thought that she was mad for trusting such a despot as Theoren Roullier, but what could she do? This man had been there for her when it felt as if the fates were against her. He was a friend, a confidant, and a damn good negotiator. A light rueful smile finds its way to her lips before she finally speaks. "Following me again Theo?" She knew he did when he had the time, and now that he was here. Willow would be sore if she ever found out. This too brings a gentle smile to her lips though her thoughts arent voice it would be evident she is thinking of her daughter. In this place, it is as if she is a carefree girl again, free to roam far and wide without the weight of a Kingdom pressed firmly down onto her shoulders. When he seats himself she <C>
-High Queen- Kahlan Lothair Leans lightly against him in a friendly manner and rests her head on his shoulder. A trickle of her fiery blonde hair falls to brush against her face and rival his turquoise shirt. Here without a crown, without an emblem, she seems almost normal and yet almost surreal. Plucking at the grass beneath her right hand, Kahlan glances down. Her's is a steadfast composition, very rarely did she quake or waiver and in this circumstance, with the rigidity of Theoren's body she knew...she knew he had something to say. Letting him battle with his demons, Kahlan is simply content to rest her head on his shoulder and stare off into a world that is benign and as beautiful as spring in the middle of early winter. <E>

Theo: *He took the seat. How could he not? Reaching over he put a finger under her chin and placed a small kiss on her cheek, affection at its height for him. They often times did not need words when they were together, which though most of the Ulsterian citizens would not know it, was more often than not. There was a reason that Theoren got away with the kinds of scurvy and criminal acts he did. Kahlan knew. She knew he didn't want to be criminal. She knew he wanted to be a good man, at least a normal one, but that was impossible for him sometimes, and other times his pain and anger overtook him and he could not keep control of his own will. But with her it was ok. He could be himself, he could feel free to say what he pleased<c>*
Theo: *<c> and for whatever reason his parasite was pacified in her presence. "How could I not?" he replied to her question with a soft and more genuine smile. And Willow, oh, little Willow. She stirred in him all of the faded and nearly forgotten happiness he had once upon a time many decades ago when Jacqui was still alive. Willow was almost the spitting image of his younger sister, a feat he had always wondered about, and the thought had crossed his mind once or twice that God felt a little sorry for his long lost best and brightest. Or perhaps it was not God, but Michael that had sent him careening into the lives of these two people. He could not be sure anymore. "You remember de night Willow was born?" he asked with a soft laugh<c>*
Theo: *<c> "Dis gonna sound crazy chere, I know... but dat... was one of de happiest day of my life." It was ironic not only in the fact that Willow was not his daughter, but also that it had been an emergency birth that Theoren had delivered himself four months too early and in doing so had lost the chance to escape from Avalon. By the end of the night he had been arrested for holding to a thieves' oath he had made to a queen. And he would not have changed that for anything in the world. He lifted a hand and stroked her hair, letting it tumble over his shoulder in silence for a few more moments. What he had to say was hard, very hard indeed. "I... am gonna leave again, Kahlan. Dis time maybe for a long, long time." He did not yet mention <c>*
Theo: *<c> his plans for self destruction. He could not bear to tell her just yet. Only that he was leaving, that was enough to cause a small heartbreaking sigh. He did not want to have to do this... but... "Please understand... I'm runnin' out of options. I wouldn'a... done all dese t'ings... if I had a choice." Of course he did have a choice, and that was to stay and rot like this for eternity. Daniel Carter, Amariette Willowbane, Ulster, Xexoria, Ayenee itself... they were pawns. They were to people like Kahlan and Theoren, less important than the big picture. They were all very resiliant, and no matter what happened they both knew that the ones Theoren hurt would mend themselves. But even Kahlan did not know that a greater threat was growing now<c>*
Theo: *<c> and that Theoren did not know how much longer he would be able to hold back the flood gates before the parasite within broke free and took him over for good.<fin>*

[Theoren Roullier]

-High Queen- Kahlan Lothair A light sigh is expelled through partially closed lips as she continues to rest against the confidant that has come in one of the strangest packages. Not that she minded, no not at all, Theoren Roullier was a devilishly handsome young man. Finding one of his hand with her own right hand she gives it a squeeze. "Just promise me one thing." Her voice is soft, gentle, and as benign as the place they are both relaxing in now. "Just promise me that you will return? Willow misses you, and you know that I will miss you too." She smiles reassuringly and touches his face, his tattoo, with her fingertips. Did she know what he was going to do? No but she was going to be supportive because she knew what it was like to be alone in a sea of strange faces that never quite knew what you were <C
-High Queen- Kahlan Lothair Up against. Letting her fire lore warm her hands a little, Kahlan drops her hand from his cheek, knowing that the sensation of her fingertips would linger long after her hand had left. "You are a strong man and a resilient angel. I have faith in you even if He does not." They both knew what she was talking about. She had fallen not unlike Theoren had. Though he did not know a crucial part of her rebirth on earth after falling. She had been born in heaven and was thrown from the heavens to be reborn half angel and half tuatha de dannan, a race of immortals born from the Goddess Danu and linked with the land. Blinking her way out of her reverie Kahlan smiles reassuringly again and brushes hair away from her face, revealing her slender neck to the warm sun. The sun in this place<C>
-High Queen- Kahlan Lothair Never seemed to burn, but always seems to keep the same steady warmth. Long lashes close for a moment as Kahlan draws deeply from the well of strength vibrating though the old garden. Theo would be able to feel it, it was unmistakable and old. He would also be able to feel how her heart had the underlying magical stream seemed to beat as one. Almost as an afterthought Kahlan reaches for his hand again, "Come with me. I want to show you something." Her voice dances like a long lost melody as she rises slowly and smoothes her skirts about her hips and reaches down for his hand with a gentle smile dappling her features with a warm and gentle glow. <E>

Theo: *Somber was not a thing you would ever call Theoren Roullier. He was never somber. He was always quick with a joke or a pickup line or a story of raging seas and daring adventure. That was because the truth about him, the pain, the fight to wake up and BE Theoren Roullier he went through every day of his life was never exposed. Lay to bare such a weakness? It would be suicide. There were rumors about him out there to be sure, how else could a man do all of the things that he did if that man were not more than human? Not to mention living the way he did, devoid of companionship... it had to wear on a body. The man had taken more hits from the women he hit on than in all the bar brawls in his life. He was by trade, a public disturbance. <c>*
Theo: *<c>His reputation, which of course far preceeded him by this point was that his mouth was just a hair quicker than his head, his sword arm even quicker, and that trouble followed him like a shadow. But he could do anything and get away with it. He had challenged gods and walked away. But he was just as fragile at points. It was simply that his kind could only die from things like self destruction and suicide. Soon, it would seem, he would have no choice in the matter anyway. One way or the other, Theoren Roullier would die. It was up to him as to who did it and how. "I can't promise I can come back." he said quietly, almost flinching as she touched that horrible tattoo, a terrible reminder of what was inside him. What was him.<c>*
Theo: *<c> "I gotta stop it now, Kahlan. It's gettin' stronger. Can't hold it in like I could b'fore. He's gettin' stronger an' I ain't gettin' no help... certainly not from who I need it from." Theoren almost spat the words, refusing to even mention the name of God. She was sweet, like Michael. What was it that Michael had said to him? 'If it pleases Him, then let Him redeem you, but if He will not, then I will redeem you.' It was a nice thought, Michael, but it would not and could not happen without His intervention. And everyone knew that. "I gotta destroy it... I got an idea. I'm gonna try it out... if it doesn' work... we might have a problem. I... don' want you or Willow t'get hurt by it. Me. Whatever it is. Dat's why I might not be able to come back."<c>*
Theo: *<c> However he rose, obediently, and perked a brow at her wondering what on earth she could want to show him. He did not bother to fix his own attire. It always seemed to wear well on him. But as she lead him on he took a moment to admire her. It hadn't been the first time he had stopped to really notice her. It was no wonder men fell at her feet in droves. She was beautiful, charasmatic, and a strong leader. What they didn't know is how beautiful she was on the inside, the true her, like he did.<fin>*

[Theoren Roullier]

High Queen- Kahlan Lothair Like a child with a surprise she guides him forward by his hand. Their hands fit together well, hers slipped delicately into his like the petals of a rose fit into the long stem. Did not the stem that held the petal firm grow thorns? As she steps sure footedly, bare foot and carefree, around a mingling of trees would never quite find growing together, she pulls back the hanging limbs of an old willow thick with the leaves of spring. Behind the brilliant green veil of the willow maiden there is a sparkling stream and a small cottage. A light smile brushes her features for a moment, hadnt she been born there? By God how long had it been? Centuries and still the cottage looked as if it had been built a few summers ago with handsome vines bursing with spring green leaves. "I want <C>
-High Queen- Kahlan Lothair You to see something special Theo." Lifting the hem of her dress, Kahlan steps out into the cold stream at a spot where it is only ankle deep and crosses. Once on the other side she drops the hem of her dress and turns to him. In a way it was a plaintive gesture and she smiles reassuringly to him. When he gets near again she turns to look at the old cottage. "I was born here, in this place, though this place was above ground and on the plane we now call reality." This confidence was something she did not have to think twice about. Long fingers curl around his hand once again as she leads him closer. "The first few years of my life were spent here, or there..." She points upwards indicating the above ground world. "This is the first time in over a milennia that I have been able<C>
-High Queen- Kahlan Lothair To find this place again." Drawing him along behind her, Kahlan reaches out to the door latch and pushes the door open. It swings easily along on its hinges, the only significant sense that no one has been living in the old cottage for a while is the light layer of dust lying over everything. "Why am I showing this to you?" turning to face Theo, Kahlan smiles lightly and holds one of his hands in both of hers. "I am showing this to you because I believe in you, and without you I would have lost everything. I dont care what He thinks, you will redeem yourself, you are a good man Theo. We have all done things that we live to regret, but humans dont understand the longevity of our lives and how it compounds upon our souls to make us wretched at heart. Do what you must to clense <C>
-High Queen- Kahlan Lothair Yourself. Just know that you will always be welcome here again." Pressing her hand over her heart she smiles gently, kisses her fingertips, and presses them to his heart. He knew that she understood his plight, yet he did not know the very basis of her knowledge. She is an older spirit and blood stains her hands and wings as it does his own. "If you see Michael, give my regards to him. If you see Him, let him know that I dont plan to visit any time soon." A wink and a roguish grin plant themselves on her features and she squeezes his hand. "I am here for you Theo, now and for as long as you can stand me." <E>

Theo: *The atmosphere was settling. He could barely feel the thing that twisted around inside of him day in and night out. This place seemed to remove its power from him, rejuvinate him as nothing else he had ever felt... well, maybe some things. Many many moons ago when his home was still among the stars, there was no greater healing than the touch of His hand. It hurt to think about it... so long had ne, a creation of the Almighty gone without so much as a glimpse of his birthright. So much anger, bitterness... and yet underneath of it all was longing and loneliness. Somehow though, today at this wonderful stream and little house, he did not feel so lonely. He never did when he was at Kahlan's side. He smiled at her childlike innocence, a side of her<c>*
Theo: *<c> she would never let her people see. As he thought, there were so few that would ever really know her for what she really was. He removed his shoes and socks, rolled up his pant legs and followed her over the little stream, leaving his garments on the otherside, feeling rather careless. He followed her to her secret door, her point of origin, her most well kept secret and smiled a little. She squeezed his hand and he squeezed back. "You know as well as I do Kahlan, dere are some t'ings we do dat we can never take back an' never make up for. I don' wanna be de man r'sponsible for dis t'ing's carnage. I want it gone... an' somehow I'll make it gone." He paused, listening to such selfless words. He wondered if he could ever be that way. Once upon a time<c>*
Theo: *<c> he had been. He had been the epitome of angel. He had been one of God's Chosen, a disciple of the Archangel Michael. Now he was... nothing to them. A fond memory and a bemoaned loss. Was that really all he was destined to become? She used his human man so... easily. But he had a better name. He would never give out his True Name to anyone. But he would give out his real name. His hand took hers as she pressed it over his heart, brought it up and laid it on his cheek and closed his eyes. God, how long had he yearned for this kind of touch, this release? Could anyone out there comprehend how much he kept bottled up? If he let his emotions run loose It would surely take advantage. And there were a lot of them. He was caught<c>*
Theo: *<c> always between self pity and revenge. Revenge against God. He made no bones about that, he made no attempt to hide behind a mask of pain. He was not simply angry at his fate, he was enraged enough to fuel a fifty year long war against all that was holy. But what he really wanted above all else... redemption. From God, from Michael, from Madeline and Jacqui... from all of them. Redemption for how he felt, his fall, his misgivings and short comings. He wanted them all to know him. "Call me... Maedyrn." He murmured his real name to her as he nuzzled into the softness of her hand. Perhaps she would know it, perhaps she would not. Either way, she would now know who he really was.<fin>*

[Theoren Roullier]

-High Queen- Kahlan Lothair Catching his chin as he nuzzles her hand, Kahlan smiles gently and takes a step closer as the door swings shut behind them in the cottage. So close to him she smells like a rose garden in early summer. "Maedyrn..." She says his true name as if she were tasting its origins and then she smiles. "I had my suspicions but I could not be sure for I had fallen from heaven before you." Touching his chin with a single fingertip, Kahlan smiles once again knowingly and then a lilting laugh bubbles forth from her throat and she bows her head lightly to him. "Maedyrn, Call me...Iolair if it pleases you or Talamh. Iolair is my true name as it was given to me in heaven, and Talamh is my true name as it was given to me by the Tuatha De Dannan and the Goddess Danu." Holding his hand once again <C>
-High Queen- Kahlan Lothair She leads him into the living area where wood furniture which seems to grow through the floorboards rests idly. Toys and things neatly placed in the corner. Why hadnt she brought Willow here? The child would love it and so would Kahlan. Time passed differently here and Willow could grow up here without the interference of court life, ah but what would Ulster do without her? Drifting away from Theo, Kahlan picks up something that is wrapped in cloth on what looks to be a dining room table. Unwrapping it, she smiles for a brief moment, hiding the tears that want to form. Turning she offers it to him. "My mother and father." The painting is exquisitely rendered in detail that he would appreciate no doubt. The woman in the painting is very nearly the spitting image of Kahlan <C>
-High Queen- Kahlan Lothair Herself, however, she has fine flowing red hair and resilient green eyes. "My mother was Tuatha De Dannan." She says while looking around for other treasures. The man in the painting is strong and resolute with much the same countenance that Kahlan bears herself now. He has long gold hair and a strong jawline with crystal blue eyes. "My father was full blood Angel." A gentle smile is covered by her fingers once again as Kahlan rummages through the things of the cottage. Beneath the cloth that remains on the painting is the obvious large belly of her mother which she could claim to be Kahlan. Something else would fall away if he moved the cloth and Kahlan would be none the wiser. A drawing of a girl of several summers that looks strikingly like Kahlan does now standing in the <C>
-High Queen- Kahlan Lothair Sunlight of the cottage looking out into the great green field beyond. It was Kahlan after she came of age and there was no mistaking it though she looked a little younger in the drawing and a little less worldly aware. "My father loved art and he loved to draw, much like you Maedyrn." Using his given name seems a little new to her but she feels she can use it in this environment now. Slender fingers peruse different things before she exits into another room. Could it be that she was growing closer to Theo by simply sharing things such as this with him? <E>

Theo: *"Iolair..." he murmured. He recognized the name. She had been among the first to fall from Grace. He had always pitied those, felt as if it might be his job to bring them back to the light. In Heaven he had been almost like a Paladin of the Divine. Now he was a scoundral, a shame to the name of Angel and perhaps now Heaven's greatest foe. How horribly ironic that God had cursed him with the one thing that His malakim could not defend against- someone who could not die. He didn't have to be strong or fast or cunning. He simply couldn't lose even if he couldn't win. He sat down as she lead him to the seat and took the painting gently in his hands. "They're beautiful." he said with a smile. After a few more moments he looked back up to her,<c>*
Theo: *<c> standing and handing the painting back. "I wish you could meet my mother and sister. My father... deserved his end, but my mother and sister..." he looked down and gave a small chuckle. "They're out of reach now. I know you... met Jacqui briefly, just once. Madeline... I have not seen her since... " He could not finish the sentence, for even now the grief was too near. A small flush of red hit his face when she mentioned his artwork. He loved art, had a real talent for it and a true passion. When he had first started out his career as a thief he had been an art heister. Now he owned several priceless paintings that were all over his estate. Apparently either she had seen his collection of personally done drawings at the safehouse in Ulster <c>*
Theo: *<c> or Aerillia had been telling stories. "Ah... t'anks..." he said in a mumble. It was the only thing he was truly shy about. The who concept of being here, seeing this, living through this, it solidified their connection beyond words. But he was running out of time. The Demon's Heart needed to be claimed. Soon. He could feel It's restlessness even now, even in this place, but only ever so faintly. He moved to her and took her shoulders, running his hands to where her neck met her collarbones and gave a small squeeze. "I'm sorry, Iolair, I can't stay here much longer...I.. I gotta take care of dis t'ing soon. I don' wanna go, but I don't got much choice..." He tipped her chin up and looked down for a moment, his eyes clear, for the first time in so many<c>*
Theo: *<c> years they were free of everything but just Theoren. "I won' come back if it's not safe... but I will try... I promise you dat." It was an awkward pause that followed. Just how deep did this bond run? A head tilt, a few inches closer, a few short breaths, and then uncertainly hit and he stopped, eyes half lidded, lips inches from her, one hand lifting her chin, the other lingers on her waist. Was this how it was supposed to go? Was this right for them? Was she as hesitant and confused, and was it out of human awkwardness or was there something more barring this desire?<fin>*

[Theoren Roullier]

-High Queen- Kahlan Lothair The akwardness of the situation is not wasted on her and yet, so close that she can smell the sea on his skin, she didnt know or even understand why she felt so strongly for this man. Was this a ploy by Him? Then realization plays through her mind like an old song, He had no control over their lives in this manner. So close, so very close. No one would know about their rendevous point, not even Him. The old Magick of this place masked scrying also, so in effect they were alone on another plane. If she lifted up she could kiss him, should she? When she feels him starting to let go, she understands the gravity of the situation and knows that this may be the very last time she ever sees him again. Clenching her hands onto his shirt sleeves she holds him steady there for a moment <C>
-High Queen- Kahlan Lothair Longer. The words 'Dont go' hanging on her lips but left unsaid. What was happening to her? She felt strongly for this man, but she had always thought it was out of kindred spirit, yet she recognized more from it now that they were so close. Her heart beat a little faster as she move closer, her lips close enough to feel the warmth of her skin. Reaching up with a free hand to touch the side of his face that has no tattoo, Kahlan brushes aside some of his hair before resting her hand at the base of his neck and pulling herself close to him and kissing him tenderly. She couldnt help it, with every fiber of her being she knew that if she didnt do this now that the opprotunity may be lost on her forever. Her hair falls to brushes against his cheek and her own as she rests against <C>
-High Queen- Kahlan Lothair Him and finally pulls back. When she opens her eyes they are a shade of grey blue and she blushes slightly. "I uhm..." she was lost for words and it was evident that she didnt know how to explain her actions so she pulls him into another kiss. Her lashes flutter slightly against his cheek as she pulls away again. Slightly breathless from the kiss, she manages to say "I dont want to keep you Maedyrn and yet my heart begs me to." Brushing a hand against his cheek she smiles. "May luck be with you and may you find all of the answers you are looking for." <E>

Theo: *It was only natural to let his arm slip around her waist and pull her in closer, hold her tightly and tenderly and return the kiss with everything he had. It was something he had not experienced since... since his wife. Love did not come to those who fell from the eyes of the Lord. Yet... here it was. Finally, he felt a kind of release, for this was not a pretty girl at a bar, it wasn't a half interest, it wasn't even just a challenge. It was a kindred, a best friend, a confidant, and now... a lover. A family. Only it was also a torture for coming to him so late in the game. Perhaps if she had come to him earlier he could have lived with the pain, forced the demon within back to its cage, but it was too late to start now. He had to go and he had to do this no matter the cost<c>*
Theo: *<c>As she pulled away he wanted to tell her not to speak, that it didn't need to be said... but she did the thinking for him and pulled him in a second time. He could not help but reciprocate. Aerillia was pushed from his mind, God, Michael, the Phoenix... it was all gone. For one blissful moment in time it was all just two kindred spirits, two halves of a whole trying to sew themselves back together again. Such a beautiful thing had not happened to him in a very, very long time. When he finally broke free and drew in a breath he said nothing, only raised a hand to her cheek and moved a strand of hair. The words were there but unnecessary. He nodded and closed his eyes, fighting off the tears of anger and confusion that threatened to <c>*
Theo: *<c> fall. She knew everything now... there was a chance if he did come back he would not be himself at all, but only a host, and she would act accordingly. One last look at those beautiful eyes and he turned around, moved out the door and took off over the hillsides not even stopping for his shoes or coat. He had a Demon to find, and a Stone to steal.<fin>*