Too Late

(Some explanation: This is part of an ongoing story of a country at war within itself. Some upstart young nobles, including Adair Gregor, have overthrown the government to create an Empire out of the previously existing kingdom. They've gotten rid of every trace of the old kingdom - or so they thought. There is a band of outcast nobles and loyal people to the crown in the forest near Adair's residence, one of whom is Edalene, who was a noble lady engaged to be married before the war broke out. Adair has been trying to find this band, with the help of a weasly man named Cormac - who nobody can figure out which side he's on. Cormac has captured Edalene and brought her to Adair for questioning.)
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"What news?"

"My lord, I have returned with a prisoner you will want to meet."

"Who?"

"You should see for yourself."

"Excelent, Cormac. Send him in." Adair looked up interestedly, curious to see just what sort of brigand this rover from the forest was going to be. Cormac opened the door and a guard walked in with a woman who seemed dazed and rather upset. Her dirty, twig-strewn hair and comfortable-looking but torn clothes bespoke a rough life in the forest. And her eyes, red and full of exhaustion and grief.....

Adair stood in his chair so rapidly that it fell over backwards. He let out a cry of shock.

Edalene looked up from where she was on the ground, forced to her knees by the guard who knew Adair liked the deference. A little gasp escaped her. She wondered briefly whether she had died and now stood in a different realm, looking into the face of someone she never thought she'd see again.

Adair fell to his knees in front of her, forgetting everyone else in the room. (Cormac, incidentally, was standing in the background, arms folded, grinning malevolently at the controversy he was stirring in their hearts). The presiding governor of Easton touched the face of the forest brigand, unsure whether he could believe his eyes. Uncontrollable sobs escaped from him and he gathered Edalene up in his arms, not knowing about the pain he was causing to her new head wound.

But she didn't care. She was so stunned that for a moment she merely gazed into space, drinking in the smell of his hair. Then she wrapped her arms around him, and suddenly a flow of speech came pouring out of her. "Adair! Adair, how could you be alive? I thought you were gone, I thought you had died? Do you have any idea what I've had to go through? What are you doing here? How could you be alive? I thought I'd lost you - "

Adair, not entirely through convulsing in sobs, silenced her with a long overdue kiss. This shocked her even more, eyes widening and getting a little more light headed.

"Leave us!" cried Adair covetously, still holding Edalene close to him. The guards were thoroughly confused and embarrassed at having witnessed it and, after a little hesitation, ran out of the room. Cormac grinned, bowed with a flourish, and sauntered out.

"Where have you been?" continued Edalene, marvelling over the fact that who she thought was dead was so close to her.

"I thought you were dead," said Adair unnecessarily. "How could it be you're still alive. You must be exhausted," he realized, getting a good second look at her. Then, furrowing his brow and separating himself for the first time from her, ignoring the tears that were still streaming town his face despite himself, "What were you doing in the woods? Did the outlaws hurt you?"

Edalene heaved a great sigh, coming back to reality from her happy cloud. She had a much bigger problem at hand than had seemed at first. "I had no choice, Adair," she said, looking at him in a different light. "My entire family was killed, I thought you were dead, and as far as I could tell I was no longer allowed to go on living - I had no one. If it hadn't been for them...." she trailed off, her throat constricting in unexpected emotion for her friends she had foolishly left behind. She could only pray that they weren't going to try to find her.

"Edalene," Adair said, becoming very serious. "I am so sorry. I was going to tell you afterward, after the coup had gone through - "

Realization hit Edalene like that guard's club to the head. "You...you planned this?" She got very quiet, unable to say more.

"Edalene," he repeated, kissing her neck. "I know what you must have been through, but it was for the best - "

"How could you know?" she said, still very quiet. She was still barely able to comprehend what was going on. She stood, pushing herself away. "How could you possibly know what I have been through?" Her voice began to rise into a high squeal. "You planned for my parent's death? You planned for the chaos and destruction and for two years I have been living like an animal in the woods, unable to do anything, just sitting and waiting for something to happen, scraping together any amount of food we could, and you think you know how I feel?" The lump in her throat told her to stop speaking but she continued. "You destroyed me! You destroyed me, and to think that I loved you, that I was going to marry you!"

Adair could do nothing but hang his head from where he knelt on the floor. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."

Edalene became even angrier, her tone getting more controlled but that had a significant bite to it. "Don't apologize to me, my lord. I'm just your prisoner, remember?"

Adair looked up, unhappy and conflicted. "I never meant for you to..." he trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

"Well, here I am," she said. "Are you going to teach me a lesson? Are you going to murder me like my parents? Like so many of my friends?"

"I didn't murder your parents!" Adair finally shouted back at her, unable to take the guilt plaguing him. He stood up suddenly. In the silence that ensued, they searched each others' eyes for remnants of who they once knew, once loved.

"But they're dead, Adair," said Edalene with controlled calm.

He sighed. "I know, but...now we have each other! We have each other now and no matter what's happened in the past, I promise to make it up to you. And I will love you...forever."

Edalene thought of the outlaws still in the forest who she had lived with for two years. She had grown to love them, respect them. She thought of all the children who had often grasped her around the knees, crying out her name in joy. She thought of Gwyn, the quiet healer who had become her friend though they came from different classes. She thought of Vance, Karrin and Sue, the grieving guests who had been welcomed with open arms to the community. She thought about Rory, who was so helplessly devoted to her. Mostly, though, she thought about Chip, who had lost his entire family and continued to look for the good in people despite their flaws, who she knew was becoming a great leader even amidst hardship. Could she abandon them for Adair, who had helped to cause so much havoc?

"No." She pierced him with a gaze, her voice now sad. "Now I am sorry, Adair. Those 'brigands,' as you call them, are my family now." She turned to leave. "They love me more than you ever did."

"Edalene, don't do this," said Adair, his voice suddenly hard over his anguish. "Give me another chance." Edalene didn't look back, her heart breaking at leaving Adair again, knowing she wouldn't see him. She touched the handle on the door. "GUARDS!" cried Adair, his voice cracking. Two guards came rushing in and tackled Edalene, her giving no protest. She just looked sadly through her wet eyelashes back at him. "Send her to be questioned. Get her to talk about that outlaw band of hers." The guards shoved Edalene into the next room, and Adair collapsed on the floor, beating it as if it were his own heart.

Cormac had been watching from outside through a window descreetly. He had been through the same thing Adair had, coming to terms with his losses and his duties. I'm happy I'm past that embarrassment, he thought to himself, wiping a stray tear away from his face.