After hours of searching, Valsera came upon a cloaked man outside the church. Swaying her skirts in a slightly annoyed manner she spoke softly and sarcastically, “Excuse me? Have you seen a tall man with dark hair? He’s late for his own wedding.”
The man replied with a snicker, “Nice to see you too Val.”
“Gabriel, honestly! What are you doing!? We need to get you inside and dressed! You are over an hour late! Slavina has locked herself away in one of the rooms! You nee-”
“Valsera… I’m not getting married.”
“Wait. What?”
“You heard me perfectly clear.” Gabriel shifts slightly toward her by tilting his head in her direction.
“W-Why not! Don’t you love her! I mean your always together; never apart!”
“I used too, but she’s changed. There’s something about her that…sets this awkward moment between the two of us.”
“Oh you just have cold feet. You’ll be fine! Marriage and love go splendidly and its something the two of you both have. You are the perfect couple and high society is booming over just that fact!”
“I don’t care about society or whether she and I are a great couple. If only… you knew.”
“Knew what Gabriel.” She said sternly.
Slowly he removed his hood and turned to her. The dark natural black hue of his hair sparkled as it caught the light. The blue of his eyes deepened as his eyes caught hers.
“Gabriel, answer me! Don’t just stand there and stare.”
“Valsera… I don’t love Slavina anymore. I haven’t loved her since she died.”
“She’s not dead Gabriel. She is as alive as you and I are.”
“She isn’t Slavina anymore. She’s a parasite who has made lust, greed, anger, and hate a normal part of living every day. How many more sins does our relationship has to go through? I am not a lover anymore. I am a slave.”
“You’re mad. You’ve been so stressed out so much that you’ve become completely and utterly mad!”
“Damnit Valsera… I am not Lying!”
“Gabriel you’re not making any sense. I don’t understand!”
“I am a slave! I live and breathe and exist for Slavina!”
Valsera turns from him slightly taken aback. She couldn’t understand why he was acting so strange. It was always calm and collected when ever they all were out.
“A slave to love?”
Gabriel grumbled ferociously, revealing the slight inner wolf broiling on the inside, “NO! Listen to ME! I am Slavina’s slave! Something happened four months ago. Something in her changed! She’s not Slavina anymore. The Slavina I know and loved is dead!!!”
Staring at him in disbelief but curiosity, Valsera shifted nervously. “You are mad. Slaving is the same person I have always known. She is my best friend… I-”
“Valsera!!! ARGH!!!!”
Calming himself down after a few minutes of pacing a foots length back and forth he finally began again regaining composure. “Don’t you trust me? Haven’t you been just the slightest bit uncomfortable around her? Haven’t you felt like she wasn’t the same person you know from only slight instances?”
Valsera eyed him a second. It was true that Slavina had been slightly different. She did do things that normally she wouldn’t do. But people change! It was normal. And it was no excuse for his behavior!
“Well, it is true that she has been slightly different, but Gabriel, someone you love should be loved for who they are. People change all the time and one must cooperate with them through thick or thin, especially if you love them!” She snickered slightly at her own thoughts getting ahead of her, “And honestly… She has threatened to kill you yet, so I think she really hasn’t changed for the worse.”
Gabriel stared at her with a cold and stagnant look in his eyes. It seemed the joke didn’t transfer well to him. Gabriel shifted uncomfortably his gaze softened and saddened slightly. She blinked a few times watching his reaction and confusion fell upon her like a dark cloud.
Darkly he replied plainly, “I don’t love her. She’s dead. Slavina is dead to me.”
“You’re a horrible man! You can’t love!”
“I am not horrible! And…And you’re denser than air!!!”
Valsera scoffed angrily, “How ‘Dare’ you!”
Gabriel rolled his eyes at his caddy and childish comment in retort. He was frustrated with himself and the entire situation. It wasn’t supposed to go like this when he first thought of it in his head. It was supposed to go splendidly and that they would run and have tea together. Unfortunately that was only for ones fantasy. Calmly he replied. “Valsera haven’t you heard anything I said?”
“YES! Everything has been so farfetched and ridiculous! How could anyone possibly take you seriously! The world is happy and bright! Your brooding over slavery on your own damn wedding day! Now I am leaving. You can brood all you want out here.”
“Wait!”
“What NOW!”
Slowly Gabriel walked toward Valsera and kneeled before her gazing towards her almost lovingly. Shifting away slightly she gave him a stern look of ‘What are you doing’. Smirking at a revelation she titled her eyebrow up into the air in a mocking glance to his action, “What now? Are you trying to beg for forgiveness?”
“Valsera,” he replied softly, “you’re wrong that I can’t love. For those horrible months, all I began to think about… was…”
“Was what?” She said impatiently.
“You.”
“You thought of me? What about me! There is nothing special.” She scoffed.
“I love you Valsera. More than life itself! You have been that light, a shining ember, that kept my hope from crumbling under my broken heart. I wanted to die, even let my brother be alone for the sake of ending the pain. The more I learned about you, the more I connected with you, the more I wanted you.”
Valsera backed away from him in shock. Her heart sank to the pits of her stomach making slight flip flops like she fell from a balcony or a high place. She was speechless, she could barely even formulate a sentence. “Gabriel… I… I…”
“Don’t call me that… She uses it. The Gods couldn’t get me to marry that woman today. I need you Val.” His arms reached up for her, begging her to enter his arms. The look in his eyes, his want, his need for her grew as he gazed at her lovingly. Valsera’s face flushed a prominent red and shook violently in reply, “Gabri-“ He moved forward grabbing her into his embrace. She squirmed at his tight grasp about her. She felt like the air was knocked right out of her by his touch. “NO! What are you doing?!”
“Don’t you feel the same way about me?”
“I-”
“I see the way you look at me, Duchess.”
“That’s true, but…”
“But what? I am pouring myself out to you!”
“Slavina! What about Slavina?! She’s my best friend. What is this going to do for all three of our relationships!”
“I don’t care anymore. I need you Duchess. I need you.”
“I can’t do this. No!!!”
Gabriel had quite enough of her denial. He pulled her closer against him wrapping his arms tighter about her. She was pressed in against his chest tightly, knocking the breath out of her in sheer shock. The heart beat under his cloak beat harder than any drum she remembered hearing. The heat resonated off him, the slight blush on his face as he held her in his arms seemed to deepen as he watched the small curves of her body fit about his grasp. His hand slowly captured the side of her face and held it facing him. The red deepened in her cheeks at his rough manner, but his skin as so soft like the petals of a rose. Her head swooned, swallowed into the heat, euphoria, and the drama of the moment. Her own heart rate raced so hard against her chest. The air from her corset jutted her bosom as she deepened her breath. The movement of her chest only tantalized his innate need for passion. Valsera weakly began to push against his arms pulling away from the hand upon her face.
Without any warning he pressed his lips against hers. She muffled out curses as his lips met hers. She knew this was wrong. She had to get away! His grasp on her was cumbersome that even her small dainty body couldn’t break free.
Gabriel deepened the kiss as he held her head into place with his palm. He could feel her silky strands beneath it, beckoning him to taste her more and to feel more of her amongst him. Gabriel soon relieved her from the kiss for only a mere second. Valsera had only managed to gasp for air only until he captured her lips yet again. The warmth of his body sent trills of music along her skin. The hairs on her arms danced and stood on end in the pure excitement of it all.
She couldn’t hold back anymore. She would be lying to herself if she did. Valsera wouldn’t admit it openly, but she had been smitten and jealous of her best friend ever since she saw Gabriel with her. The mere glimpse of Gabriel sent her mind reeling with fantasies. Gabriel had a sense of eloquence that only a high socialite would have, but he also had a down to earth aura that cascaded from him ever so slightly.
Valsera continued the passion remembering the fantasy of wanting him and realizing it had just manifested before her eyes. She felt slightly guilty about it, but she felt wanted, a feeling she never once felt before. She pressed herself against him freely and wrapped her arms around him. Like a dream, she never wanted it to go. Gabriel moaned happily at her finally giving into her desire for wanting him just as bad as he wanted her. If she didn’t want him, she would have still been struggling to run away. He moaned again standing up and taking her small dainty body with him. He heaved her into the air holding her close to him like a precious gem.
Slowly and carefully he slipped his tongue between her reddened and swollen lips and intertwined his tongue with hers; sharing each others essence. She made a muffled gasp at his movement, but just as desperate as she was before she melded her fingers into his scalp feeling the soft lustrous texture between her skin.
He parted his lips from her slowly, taken in the romantic moment. This feeling that came over him never felt this way before. He thought he was in love with Slavina, but it wasn’t love. It was something else. The feeling he had at this moment was pure and raw. It was love. He really did love Valsera. The two caught their breath from the heat and fervor. Valsera melted into him clinging to him as she hung there. Gabriel gruffly smirked as he lifted the rest of her body freeing her from any strain. Held in his arms like ready to cross the threshold of the honeymoon night, Valsera gazed lovingly to him. She wanted more of him.
Slavina’s wedding was canceled that day. Slavina even disappeared, but her wedding dress was nicely hanging off the mannequin, just as she bought it. It was that day that the world of Excavanon changed. A new and powerful leader would arise and love and romance would never… be the same.
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