Fate was a cruel mistress. If she knew nothing else to be true in this world, she knew this one truth. It had become painfully clear over the past several weeks. Tonight, more than ever before, she felt the painful weight of that reality.<br/><br/>She couldn't help but wonder why. Why did it have to be this hard? Why had fate even allowed their paths to cross? Was it truly just some twisted game? Did none of them really matter at all? Were their lives, their happiness so utterly meaningless to the universe that they were so easily and cruelly toyed with?<br/><br/>In some way, she knew that she had only herself to blame. That made it no easier to accept. In fact, it made it all the more difficult to accept. All this pain and sorrow wasn’t just orchestrated by some unseen beings seeking to torment her. It had been her own choice. She had known from the beginning that they could never be together, but even so, she had chosen to invite him in anyways.<br/><br/>She hadn’t known then that in such a short time, he would come to mean so much to her, though. She wondered if that knowledge would have changed anything. If she had known how much it would hurt, would she still follow the music that led her into the forest, to him? Would she have so carelessly invited him up the vines? Would she have seen him again?<br/><br/>She knew in her heart that the answer was yes. Even if it felt like everything was crashing down around her, even if the crushing pain in her chest made it hard to breathe, even if the tears wouldn’t stop, it was still worth it. But why did he have to look so hurt? Why did he have to hold her that way? Why did it have to be this way?<br/><br/>The answers never came, even as she sat there, even as the pain numbed and an empty hole filled the place where her heart had been, the answers never came. Even as she stood and forced her body to climb into bed, fighting with her mind to stop, to be quiet, to let her sleep, the answers never came.  As she forced her mind to quiet, she briefly wondered how she would be able to face the fate that awaited her, the husband she had to take. Once again, no real answers came as the world slowly faded to darkness and sleep pulled her under.<br/><br/>--<br/><br/>Rosalie paced impatiently outside for a moment, until Jalice came to the window and she stopped, gazing up at him. In the next instant, he was opening the window and jumping out, not even bothering to dress himself before he did. The gesture left her feeling happier than she was willing to admit, especially when she knew he hated the rain.<br/><br/>She stifled a laugh when he nearly fell on the slippery grass in his haste to get to her side. When he took her hands gently in his, those scarlet eyes staring back at her, she opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. What could she even say to him?<br/><br/>He didn’t leave much room for words, though, as the next moment he leaned in, pulling her into a passionate kiss that she gladly returned in kind. She wrapped her arms around the back of his neck, pulling herself closer to him. She savored the kiss, his taste, the way his body felt against hers, wishing it could last forever.<br/><br/>She cursed at fate for being so cruel, and suddenly wish that it truly was a being that pulled the strings and twisted their fates into something so cruel. If it were, she could find and slay her for her callous and unforgivable deeds. If she could, then maybe she could reverse this tragedy and they could be together again, instead of being forced apart.<br/><br/>When the kiss finally broke, she looked up at him and touched his face, her face holding a mix of love, sadness, and even anger at this fate. “Is this really it?” she wondered. “Tomorrow…” she trailed off, finding that she could finish that sentence. It just made her angry all over again. Instead, she dropped her head, resting it against his bare chest, now dripping from the rain.<br/><br/>“Will you dance with me? One more time?”