Ariella clung to his words, telling her that she didn’t need to thank him, although she felt like she did. She had never really given much thought to the idea of love like most girls her age had; however, when reality set in and this thing that she hadn’t thought much about was suddenly stripped away, she found some part of herself wishing she had gotten to experience something real, at least once. It seemed cruel of fate to bring it into her life now, to dangle happiness in front of her as if to show her what she could not have, but even so, she didn’t regret it.<br/><br/>His gentle words made her happy, but likewise, they made her feel incredibly sad. It felt like they were already saying goodbye. She also got the feeling that he left something unsaid, as his words seemed to carry a deeper meaning.<span style="font-style: italic">Until now</span>he had said, and she couldn't help but wonder what it was he felt now, what he had left unsaid. But that thought only seemed to make the sadness she felt more potent.<br/><br/>She kept her questions to herself, though. She had things left unsaid, too. It seemed cruel to say them now, when there was no hope left to cling to, if there had ever been. She let her head drop a little more, biting her lip to keep from asking the questions she’d made up her mind not to ask, and to give her a distraction from the pain that steadily built inside.<br/><br/>When he turned around and wrapped his arms around her, she embraced him more tightly than she had meant to, burying her face in his chest as she did. She tried to savor the moment, to memorize what this felt like, to try not to think about the fact that this might very well be the last time he held her this way. But try though she might, the pain still tugged at her heart, weighing heavily on her.<br/><br/>She was reluctant to pull away when he did, to look him in the eyes, knowing that all he would find was pain. She didn’t want that to be how he remembered her. Still, she looked up at him when he spoke, suggesting that she get some sleep, that she had a long journey ahead of her.<br/><br/>She wanted to protest, to tell him to stay a little longer, but would drawing it out really be better for either of them? The reality was that this was the end, whether she liked it or not. He was right, she did have a long journey ahead of her tomorrow, and she would do well not to be too tired and weak to function. She had to be strong, and to be strong tomorrow, she had to be strong tonight.<br/><br/>Reluctantly, she nodded. “You’re right,” she answered, giving him a smile that did nothing to brighten her features. Despite her attempts to suppress the pain and sadness from her face, it still showed in her eyes as she looked up at him.<br/><br/>An unsteady hand moved to rest on his cheek as she gazed up into his eyes, as if she were memorizing what he looked like. She didn’t know what to say right then. There were many things she could have said, but they either didn’t feel like the right thing to say, or it just seemed cruel to say them. Instead, when she opened her mouth to speak, no words came out. Rather than trying to find the right words, she leaned up and kissed him one last time. She took her time, savoring it for as long as she could before she had to pull away to breathe.<br/><br/>She lingered in his arms a moment longer before she took a deep breath, to ready herself for what came next. “Goodbye, Valor,” the words left a bitter taste in her mouth, leaving her throat feeling dry, and making it hard for her to take her next breath. Her body protested, but she forced it to move, to turn away from him and take the few steps that carried her through the door and into her bedroom, away from him.<br/><br/>She didn’t turn back to look at him, no matter how much she wanted to. She couldn’t; if she did, she was afraid she might lose her resolve and go running back to him. Instead, as soon as she was through the doorway, she pressed her back to the door and pushed it closed without looking behind her. As soon as the door was closed, she slid down to the floor, hugging her knees tightly to her chest and burying her face in them.<br/><br/>She hadn’t allowed even a single tear to fall when she had faced him, not wanting him to see her that way, not wanting him to see that weak and miserable side of her. The moment she was alone in her room, though, surrounded by nothing but cold darkness and lonely silence, the feelings she had held back crashed over her, and she could no longer hold back the tears as she sobbed quietly to herself.<br/><br/>She wasn’t sure how much time passed, but eventually the tears stopped, her sadness and pain replaced by an empty numbness and a grudging acceptance of her fate. It was at that point where she stood and crossed the room to her bed, where she covered herself and forced herself to sleep, if for no other reason than for her own protection tomorrow.<br/><br/>--Meanwhile--<br/><br/>The news that her engagement to Jalice had been called off in favor of him marrying a human princess had not been well received by the young vampire. It had been bad enough that she’d been forced into an engagement to him to begin with, but now, when she had truly fallen in love with him, he had been ripped away from her two months before they were to be wed. It was maddening—no, infuriating.<br/><br/>She had not been by to see him in a week now. She wouldn’t admit it, but it hurt. Seeing him would only remind her that he was not hers any longer. Like any hurt animal, she had lashed out, fighting and training. When that wasn’t enough, she had gone out looking for danger, looking for something she could take her anger out on.<br/><br/>Now, weeks later, after fighting so hard to rid herself of this pain and anger, here she was, standing outside his window, hoping to see him one more time before he married that human. Thinking about it irritated her, but she forced it down, focusing on the rain that trickled down, soaking through her black hair and the brightly colored dress she wore. She didn't really know why, but she loved the rain; somehow it always seemed to soothe her.<br/><br/>Steeling herself, she picked up a small slick stone from the wet grass and tossed it at his window. She was careful of how hard she threw it, wanting to get his attention, but not to break the window, or draw the attention of anyone else. Once she stone had been flung, she waited impatiently for him to notice her. For that brief moment, she was just a girl waiting for a boy.