Hawe and His Princess: Chapter 33

Departure:

Elayne woke up feeling refreshed and deliciously content, remembering a dream that wasn't a dream. She stretched and rolled over, putting her hand out, her eyes shot open when she felt an empty space, looking at a red rose instead of him. She reached out to him and saw that he was almost to the Tower.

"Good morning, my love," he whispered to her.

She closed her eyes and pictured herself in his arms on Midnight, her arms wrapped around his neck, his mouth on hers. She held that image there and wrapped it around him, "I love you too, my sweet, loving husband. Tell me, my dear husband, that wasn't a dream I had, was it?"

"It was a dream, and it was also real, I wanted to give you something special. Now, when you go to sleep every night, you'll have that dream."

"Mmm, what a sweet loving dream."

As she got dressed, she noticed something on the top of her left breast. She went to the mirror to see what it was, and she heard him chuckling, "Arik Hawke, did you mark me?"

"Now, why would you think I'd do something like that baby." She saw the mischievous grin on his face. She paused at that, wait, how could I see that? It was as if he was standing right in front of me. Her eyes went back to the mark on her breast. It was shaped in a heart with their initials in it, AH and EH.

Surprisingly, she actually found it really sweet. She looked more closely at herself and found an identical mark right in the middle on her lower belly right above her mound between her legs, this one being a little bigger. She grinned, wondering if they were permanent. "They are my love," he said quietly to her.

"Elayne, do me a favor, close your eyes, clear your mind, and picture me standing in front of you, I want to check something, trust me, please."

Curious, she did as he asked. She gasped when she felt his hand on her cheek, "Hawke," she whispered, confused. "How is this possible?" She felt his lips lightly touch hers.

"Remember me telling you about that ball in our bond. It's no longer a ball, I unraveled it completely. Elayne, I need you to promise me something, please. Don't experiment with it until we're both completely alone. Will you promise me that?"

She felt a thrill of excitement run through her, and her curiosity rose until she heard him growling, "I promise I will behave until both of us are alone," she sighed. "You're so not any fun, by the way," she pouted.

"Is that so my sweet angel," she gasped when she felt his hand on her nipple, he chuckled. "Now get your hot sexy ass dressed. You have practice this morning after you eat."

With a frustrated sigh, she pulled on her clothes and made her way downstairs. The aroma of breakfast filled the air as she joined her family at the table. Her mother glanced up, a look of concern etched across her face.

"When did he leave?" her father asked.

"Early this morning, likely before dawn, I noticed that he had already passed West Hill by the time I woke up. The Tower was in sight, indicating he was making good progress. I expect he'll slow his pace once he gets beyond the Tower." Glancing at her mother, she reassured her, “I’m okay, Mom. Our connection keeps us in touch, and while it’s tough not having him here with me, we can still communicate. So please stop worrying and looking at me that way; or I will start crying."

For some reason, she didn't have much of an appetite, so she decided to go check in on his family. She found the girls had just finished eating as they came running over to her. When she bent down, giving them both hugs, she suddenly felt overwhelming emotions running through her. After making sure they were ok, she went to go see his mom and sister. When they came over, giving her a hug and asked how she was doing, she wanted to scream. Why couldn't they quit asking how she was doing? She was fine, she would be fine, she needed to be strong, stay strong for him. She looked over at them, opened her mouth to tell them, but suddenly found herself breaking down in tears.

"I'm not fine, I miss him, I know he's ok, he's in my head, but I need to see him, touch him, I need to feel his arms around me. So no, I'm not okay." She left them, needing to be alone. She rushed back upstairs to their room and laid down on the bed crying.

"Hawke, I miss you, I thought I could do this, but I can't, I'm so sorry." She felt him immediately in her head, comforting her, loving her, holding her.

"Elayne, my love, it will be ok. We will get through this together. It may not be the way we want it to be, but we'll manage. Whatever the reason I have to do this, I'll try and get it done as soon as possible so I can come back home to you. Elayne, I'm still with you, angel. I love you, Elayne Hawke." She laid there crying, listening to his words, feeling his love pouring into her. But it wasn't enough, she stripped off her shirt, went and grabbed one of his and put it on, it smelled just like him. She laid back down on his side of the bed crying until she fell asleep, exhausted.

Hawke was just passing the Tower entrance when he felt Elayne break down and his heart broke. He should be there with her where he was supposed to be. Not on some unknown mission that he had no clue about. He put his mind back on her and tried comforting and soothing her. He poured his love into her. He knew it wasn't enough, but he still tried. He saw her put on a shirt of his and lay on the bed somewhat soothing to her, but it didn't stop the tears. By the time she quit crying and fell asleep, he had already passed the Tower. He wanted to try something, so he closed his eyes, cleared his mind, and pictured her in his arms. With a trickle of his magic, he sent his mind into hers, pouring soothing magic into her. He held her close to him in his arms until he felt her stirring.

"Elayne, I love you, baby." He put his lips on hers gently, feeling her responding as she sighed.

"I miss you, Hawke."

He pulled her closer to him. "I miss you too, my love."

He felt her in his head examining what he was doing, "how is this possible, I know you're not here, but it feels like you are. I literally feel you holding me, your arms wrapped around me, I felt your lips on mine."

"I don't know yet, my love, I've been examining our bond off and on today. I want to do something, I know you can feel me when I'm using my magic on you when I scan and heal you, but I need to be touching you physically. I want to try something. Let me know if you can feel this." He imagined his hands on her and scanned her body, making sure she was okay. Because he was in her mind, he felt the warmth and tingle that went with it.

She smiled at him, "That is amazing, I wonder if you can heal."

"I think I can. How do you feel? While you slept, I used my magic to clear your exhaustion." He already knew the answer to that when he felt her examining herself.

"I feel great, refreshed," she smiled, "this is amazing, my love."

Hawke pulled his magic away from her. He was exhausted from the little sleep he'd had from the last couple of nights. He didn't want to drain himself.

Elayne was instantly worried about him. She knew he hadn't slept last night. He hadn't slept much since they had come back to Highever. She felt bad, she'd slept like a baby while he hadn't, she wished there was something she could do to help him. Then she remembered his tea he used to help those who had trouble sleeping.

"Hawke, why didn't you use your own tea for yourself?"

"Because I have to keep a clear head and be there in case something happens, and you need me. I know what the tea does. It helps you go to sleep and keeps you asleep. It would make it hard for me to wake up, with my mind fogged over, what would have happened if something were to happen to you and I couldn't wake up, be there for you. No, Elayne, I won't chance it, I'll be fine, my love."

She threw up her hands in exasperation and anger, "What would happen if you were too exhausted from lack of sleep to perform clearly, and you used your magic? I know your power uses mana, but it also uses your energy, too. I was there in your head when you over extended yourself, not once but twice. It not only drained your mana, but it also drained you, or did you forget, I definitely can't forget that I could have lost you." She was beyond frustrated now. She was angry and hurting. "You're no good to me, Arik Hawke, if you're drained from exhaustion. You can't be there for me if you're too exhausted because you're too bloody stubborn to take care of yourself."

She left his mind completely and closed herself off to him. He was so bloody, concerned about taking care of her and being there for her that he was refusing to take care of himself. She stormed into the dining room to get something to eat, unaware that anybody else was in there until her mom and Leandra came over to her, giving her a hug. Unable to stop herself, Elayne unleashed her anger, frustration, and hurt out on their moms.

"Are you aware that your bloody son has barely slept since we've come back here? He's got his tea if he had problems sleeping, but he's so concerned and worried that if something was to happen to me, he wouldn't be able to be there. He's so bloody worried about my well-being that he's forgetting about his bloody self. I'm a big girl! I can take care of myself! I have been before his stubborn bullheaded ass came into my life!"

She looked over at their moms, who was looking at her with amusement and sympathy. Before she could open her mouth to retort hotly at their expressions, Leandra spoke.

"Welcome to having a life with Arik Hawke and being married to him. I've told you, tried to warn you that he will do everything in his power to make sure you're safe. Your well-being and happiness are his first priority. Your life is his life. Your happiness is his happiness, and your well-being is his. He will never quit making sure you're going to be okay before he focuses on himself."

His mom looked at her with sympathy and brought her over to sit down. "Did you notice that he was even more attentive to your needs, wants, and demands in the last couple of days, possibly the last week? He knew he would have to leave you, how hard that would be on you, so he did everything in his power to make sure you were going to be okay during his absence even if it cost him. Everything that he does and has done is for you. He loves you so much, Elayne, that he has and would sacrifice himself to ensure your safety and well-being. Are you aware of the real reason that he risked his life to close off those caves?"

She nodded, "Yes, he didn't like what he felt, a sinister aura that filled him with dread, which prompted him to take drastic measures. In an effort to contain whatever darkness resided in those caves, he made the decision to collapse them, sealing them away. His priority was to protect everyone from whatever it was that might emerge from the depths below.

Leandra nodded, "very good, but do you know the main reason why he did that? Who's the one person who matters the most to him, besides his family? You, Elayne, whatever was down there, whatever he felt, frightened him so bad that he did the only thing he could think of to ensure you would be safe. Once again, not only did he risk exposing his power but also himself to keep you safe."

She put her hands on Elayne's face and looked at her. "I'm not saying this to frighten you or to bring up old hurts, I'm saying this, so you understand what you mean to him. Arik loves you with his very being. There's nothing he wouldn't do to make sure you're safe and happy. I bet if you were to ask him to come back, he'd turn his horse around and be here before you went to bed, despite how important this summons is. When he knows that you're okay, then he'll worry about himself."

Elayne threw up her hands in frustration, "Well, I'm okay, and I'm safe. He can relax and take care of himself."

"Yes, you're safe, Elayne, but you're not happy at the moment, especially with him. If you want to ensure that he focuses on himself, then you're going to have to convince him that you're okay. Think of a memory or feeling that brings you complete happiness and focus on that even if you have to think of something intimate between you both. And you know you can't fake it. Your bond doesn't seem like it can hide anything from either of you."

Elayne shook her head, frustrated. She knew what she needed to do, and his mother was right. He would know if she was faking it. "You're right. He would know, even more now than before." She saw the confused looks on their faces, she sighed. "He completely opened up our bond. Before, there was a small ball that he hadn't completely unraveled. But before he left, he unraveled it. Now I can feel his touch on me. It literally feels as if he was standing in front of me touching me. He can even heal me, I'm not sure if that uses up more power. Though now that I think about it, I'll have to ask him." She looked at Leandra and her mom, hugging them.

"Thank you both of you, I think I better go do some practice so I can clear my mind. Right now, I can't convince myself that I'm ok, let alone him. I'll be here for dinner. Again, thank you."

Before she walked out to do her training with her soldiers, her mom stopped her and smirked. "Elayne darling, you might want to fix the shirt, I don't know how safe that would be if you did the wrong move. You might reveal more than your showing now in his shirt. As it is now, they would get a look at your new beauty mark. Is that permanent?"

She looked down at herself and felt her face heat up. "Uh, yeah, it is. It's a heart with our initials inside of it. He did it while I was sleeping before he left." She contemplated just changing the shirt, but with it on, it felt like he was standing in front of her with his arms around her, and she wasn't ready to remove the barrier yet. So she buttoned the shirt more and headed outside.

Leandra looked at Eleanor, both of them amused with Elayne and Hawke's relationship. "She's got her hands full with Arik. They've both got their hands full with each other. But they'll figure it out, I know Arik, he'll make sure of it. She's right, though. He is stubborn and determined, but then they both are."

Eleanor agreed, but then she wondered about something. "Was it a good idea to tell her why he risked himself the way he did? I understand, but how is she going to deal with it."

"She's going to do exactly what she's supposed to do. This will be hard for both of them. Bethany and I saw her before she broke down even though she tried to hide it, and you said she barely ate anything at breakfast. The last thing we need is for her to fall apart and dwell on her emotions, especially given the strength of their connection. We’re in the dark about this bond they share and how it influences them. Her strength is crucial, not just for her sake but also for him, especially when we have no clue what he might be facing."

"I understand how it might seem that I’ve manipulated her. Perhaps I have, but the truth is, Arik is my son. His well-being is just as crucial to me as much as Elayne's. As my daughter-in-law, I hold both of them dear, and if this approach is what it takes to safeguard their well-being during this period of separation, then it's a sacrifice I’m willing to make. Keeping her engaged is essential; we need to distract her from the pain of his absence. There’s a wedding to plan, among other things, offering her plenty to focus on. As for the nights, I trust they will navigate that territory themselves, especially if what she claims about their intensified bond holds true," she chuckled.

After practice, and once she was in the tub relaxing then she finally released the barrier. The first thing she felt was his pain and guilt. "I love you, Arik, and I apologize." She wrapped her arms around him.

"No, Elayne, I'm the one that should be apologizing to you, my love. You're right, I'm no good to you if I'm not at my best. It's my job to make sure you were going to be okay, so you would be happy during this separation. It would have torn me up knowing that you were hurting. But I've failed in that, you're angry with me, and I'm sorry. All I wanted was for you to be happy, I love you so much, Elayne, there's nothing I wouldn't do for you."

"Arik, my love, do you know what would make me happy the most, you taking care of yourself. I need my husband at his best always. I understand what you did and why, and I'm so grateful to you for that. I know how much you love me, I feel it every moment we're together no matter how we're together. We will get through this, I know we will. I love you, baby, with all my heart and soul. You are what makes me happy. The fact that you're in my life, that you love me the way you do makes me happy. I never dreamed of being loved the way you love me. Thank you Arik, now quit worrying about me and worry about yourself, you stubborn ass." She said the last part with a teasing grin as she wrapped him tighter in her arms.

She saw and felt the change in him as he wrapped her up in his strong arms and heard his chuckle. "I love you, baby, and I promise I'll be more careful with myself."

She looked at where he was and was shocked. "You're already at the River Dane? You are making great time. How's Midnight doing?"

"He's fine, I promised I'd give him a long break when we got here. I know I pushed him, but I just want this done and over with, so I can get back to where I'm supposed to be."

"Baby, I think your bath water is cooling off. You're getting a little perky there," he chuckled.

She looked down at herself and grinned, "I would say so, my love," she mused, pulling herself out of the tub. She heard him groan as she walked into the bedroom naked, felt him starting to get uncomfortable, so she decided to ease his mind. "Don't worry, my love, I know you still have a ways to go, I'll be good. But once you're where you have to go, I want to experiment with this bond."

"Deal, I'm really curious about this just as much as you are. I love you, Elayne. I'm going to get back on Midnight and get going myself. I'm just not going to push him like I did earlier. He did great today. Now go get something to eat, I can feel your hunger, my love."

Hawke leaned back against a fallen log, letting Midnight rest after his discussion with Elayne. As time slipped by, an unsettling sound of twigs snapping interrupted the silence. Seconds later, the ominous rasp of metal being drawn reached his ears, and he cursed himself for his lapse in vigilance. Reacting with speed, he unsheathed his blades just in time to evade a sudden strike. With a swift swing, he severed the assassin's arm at the elbow, a decisive blow. An arrow zipped past, but he deftly deflected it with his other weapon, now fully alert. He quickly assessed the situation, noting five figures clad in leather closing in, each armed with knives and short swords. A curse escaped him—'bloody Crows.'

As one attacker lunged forward, Hawke dropped into a combat stance, his right leg swinging out to kick the assailant in the knee, sending him collapsing to the ground. Without wasting a moment, he turned to face the next combatant. Spotting the fighter's awkward grip, he executed a precise parry with his left blade, then pierced his right sword deep into the adversary’s chest. Stepping back to avoid the falling corpse, he noticed the first attacker struggling to rise. A quick downward thrust ended that life swiftly.

Heightened senses alerted him to movement on his right, and he lunged forward, narrowly dodging a dagger aimed for him. Taking stock of his surroundings, he saw three attackers encircling him in a semicircle, ready to strike.