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Araya Lucaris (Elora Krisara x AndrewS)

With the conflict having ended for now, and the healing having happened without any incident between the two, Vander felt a little relieved for a chance to get some rest. He knew that they all needed it, some more than others, and that it would do them well to take a breather before they jumped back into traveling again and facing down whatever his brother was going to send their way next. He couldn't help but feel bad for getting Alexandra involved, however. He knew what she was risking by helping them. If Balthier found out, she wouldn't just lose her spot as First Lieutenant, her life would likely be the forfeit for her betrayal. He didn't want it to come to that, so he was glad she had the foresight to bury the tracking device and not to bring it with her, giving his brother no insight into what she was doing or where she had been.

As the sky began to darken a little, and the cold air of the evening began to settle in, Alexandra sat the makeshift firepit she had created alight, providing them warmth by means of an orange, glowing flame which flickered and danced against the force of the breeze. She had taken up her spot on her blanket, while Vander had taken a page from Kelaria's book, finding a stone he could use as a seat. They shared some idle chatter, back and forth, but it was clear none of them really had much to say to each other at the moment, or at least while they were all together.

Vander cast his concern about the smoke that was billowing from the fire, but Alexandra assured him the trees of the forest were too high for much of the smoke to even be seen from the outside. Vander had farther concerns about the state of Kelaria's well-being, both mentally and physically, but couldn't voice them in their current situation. After a little while, the silence was beginning to get to him and he felt the need to excuse himself.

"I'm going to take a short walk. Don't worry, I won't go far."

"Van?" Alexandra asked. Vander shook his head.

"I'm fine, I promise. Keep Kelaria company."

Alexandra seemed unconvinced, but she nodded her head as Vander disappeared into the tree line, leaving her alone with the girl she had attempted to take in not long ago. It was a clear sign that Vander trusted her as he would have never done something so foolish if he wasn't convinced that Alexandra was telling the truth when she said she had changed her mind about turning them over to Balthier.

"Well, since we're alone...there's probably something we should discuss." Alexandra began, sighing. "It's not a secret anymore that Van and I have...history. I'm sorry I unloaded all of that on you, it wasn't kind of me to treat you the way that I did just because my feelings were hurt. Van...he's not a bad person. It may have seemed like I thought that about him, but I really don't. Deep down, I knew there were reasons why we couldn't be together, why he left...I was just a baby about it. I'd never gotten my heart broken before, and I never have since then. I pride myself on being a warrior, on being a fighter and on being in control of my emotions, but when I saw him with you, I couldn't hold back. It was like an entire year of pain came flooding back to me and I wanted to break his stupid face..." She laughed, lightening the mood a little. "But I can tell he cares about you. And you care about him."

Alexandra stopped, expecting Kelaria to protest. "I can see it in your eyes, Kelaria, in the way you look at him...it's the same way I used to look at him." Alexandra was implying something beyond a regular, working partnership between the two, but it almost came across like she was trying to discern whether or not what she was seeing was all in her head. She clearly still had feelings for Vander and was trying to decide whether or not she had already lost him to another.
 
In truth, Vander had every right to be concerned about Kelaria's wellbeing. Everything had been non-stop for her. The last time she rested properly was that night they spent together in the Nither. Since then they had fought two separate battles where Kelaria had come close to overexerting herself. Then she continued to drain herself trying to help and heal Vander, not that he knew she had taken some of his pain and weariness onto herself in order to get him to Sharla and Sam's in one piece. Even when she had the chance to rest in the village she spent that time finding ways to help instead of sleeping or eating. Kelaria was running herself into the ground and wasn't even aware of it. Her emotional wellbeing was in a worse state of turmoil.

Kelaira, who had been resting her back against a tree behind her, sat up to protest when Vander announced he would be wandering off on his own. Alexandra beat her to it but seemed to trust he would be safe. Kelaria still didn't like it and a part of her nearly jumped up and insisted on following him but she could see he needed the time to himself so she let him be without protest.

It came as a bit of a surprise to Kelaria when Alexandra spoke up to her. She had expected another long and awkward silence with Vander leaving. "I understand. At least to a degree. I've never been put in that position myself but I think I understand. You never got closure so when you saw Vander and I together, knowing that he defected from your cause on top of everything else, it was easy to let those unresolved feelings bubble over again." Kelaria looked down at her hands to avoid meeting the warrior's gaze but her attention was pulled back up abrubtly. "No no. You have it all wrong. I'm just a means to an end. He needs me to stay alive because I'm the only one who knows the location of the Araya Lucaris. He doesn't think of me that way. He's kind to me because that's just his nature, it doesn't mean he feels anything." She reasoned against any possibility of Vander having feelings for her. Thus far, she hadn't protested to her own feelings for him.

Kelaria looked back down at her hands when Alexandra accused her of looking at Vander in that way. "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't- I don't see Vander that way. I just don't want to see him get hurt." Kelaria lied straight through her teeth, even to herself. Deep back in her mind Kelaria couldn't help but finally take notice of the feelings Alexandra was speaking of. Could she be right? The warrior's words held some truth to them and the thought of it made Kelaria's chest tight. Surely she couldn't be developing feelings for Vander. The more she reflected on it the more that tightness in her chest grew. Kelaria thought back to earlier in the day and the relief and...joy?... she felt when she saw Vander upright. She thought of the embarrassment she felt for him seeing her covered in dirt. She looked down at her now healed arm and thought of the comfort his touch had brought her and the way it made her feel when he insisted on protecting her.

Oh gods! I cannot be falling for Vander Albright! as the thought seized her, Kelaria kept her eyes pointed away from Alexandra. "We're just traveling companions. I don't think you have anything to worry about."
 
Alexandra peered through Kelaria, trying still to figure out if what she was saying was what she truly felt. Alexandra could see the similarities in the way Kelaria looked at him, and the intimate moment they had shared, along with the fact that he refused to let her heal him, made it very difficult for Alex to believe there was nothing more there, but perhaps it was her own jealousy and unresolved feelings playing at her mind and forcing connections that didn't exist.

"I tried to heal his wound and he wouldn't let me. The second you tried, he didn't resist." Alexandra pointed out her astute observation, hiding the fact that had been bothered by it. "If you are so certain that is how you feel, perhaps I may need to question him about what he feels. Surely that shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Was that her place to intervene? Probably not, but the curiosity would eat her alive, as would the lack of closure she wished she had gotten when things had fallen apart in the first place. "I trust you will be safe. I will cast a warding spell around the camp site just in case. The second something other than myself or Vander enters it's radius, you will be warned of the unwanted presence. I would like to go speak with him now. Privately, please."

Alexandra stood up from her blanket, hands outstretched. Blue energy drew a line around the camp site in a circle, a couple of feet out, it's radius hidden within the trees. She gave Kelaria a nod and began to walk in the direction that Vander had. "I will return with answers for the both of us."
 
Kelaria blinked in surpise at the news that Vander hadn't let Alexandra heal him. That explained the almost bitterness in her comment when she healed Kelaria's wound. Kelaira's cheeks flushed a bit. She was right. Vander hadn't tried to stop Kelaria from healing him for even a second. Kelaira refused to believe that the reason had anything to do with how Vander felt about her. She had seen how he held Alexandra before. There was too much history there for him to feel anything for anyone else. Vander and Kelaria were an impossibility. Her brain scrambled for any other explanation.

Kelaria looked at her. "Of course that wouldn't be a problem...you deserve to know. You deserve your closure." She watched as the warrior stood and made her way out of the camp after casting the ward. Kelaria wanted to argue that she didn't need answers but the warrior was already leaving and part of Kelaria let her leave without saying it. Maybe she did need answers?

Instead of enjoying her solitude Kelaria found that being left alone in the camp made her restless. She tried to lay back against the tree again and rest her eyes but her mind wouldn't quiet, wondering what Vander and Alexandra were doing. Kelaria knew she should stay at the campsite but in the end it was her hunger that convinced her that she deserved the chance to wander about like the others.

Kelaria decided to see if she could forage for anything worth eating. She'd stay near the camp of course but she couldn't sit around uselessly any longer.

As soon as she was out of the camp and actually moving around she realized her hunger wasn't her only motivation for needing to get out. Her conversation with Alexandra had messed with her head. She found herself lingering far too much on what may or may not be said when Alexandra spoke to Vander. Maybe she did need answers too.

After wandering for a short while she found a small stream and decided it was worth washing her arm and face. The cold water helped settle her nerves a bit. Out of the corner of her eye while washing up she noticed the telltale sign of wild carrots.

After spending some time gathering and washing a few she began to wander again, accidentally stumbling too close to where Alexandra and Vander stood. Kelaria's cheeks went red and she quickly began to turn around. The last thing she wanted to do was invade their privacy or to be caught snooping.
 
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Alexandra trudged through the forest without any real hint on which direction Vander had wandered off in. He had a few minutes on her, but she knew he wouldn't have gone too far, so it was up to her to put her instincts to use, as well as her ability to recognize Vander's magic, the same way she had determined who he was while in disguise. When she got close enough to pick up on it, she followed it's direction, eventually finding Vander near the edge of a small brook cutting through the forest. It's water shimmered under the moonlight, catching what it could between the tall trees. It was beautiful in a way that often couldn't be found naturally in a kingdom that had been under siege, but he had found it.

He knew Alexandra was approaching before she reached him, on-alert for the sound of her movement in the trees, but she wasn't trying to be stealthy or to hide her approach, so it wasn't like she made it difficult for him to recognize she was on her way.

"I told you to stay with Kelaria." He chastised, not turning back to face her but rather continuing to stare across the brook to the other side.

"You don't give me orders."

Vander laughed, quietly, beneath his breath. "I suppose you're right. Why did you follow me?"

Alexandra approached a little bit closer, stopping a few feet back. "I wanted to speak with you about something."

"Alex...I don't th-"

"No. Do not tell me to stop. I've waited too long for this conversation and I will let you run away from it."

Vander froze, for a moment, realizing there was nothing he could do to avoid this any longer. He had hurt her. She had every reason to want answers, to face him down for what he had done. He wasn't ready for the conversation, but he didn't have a choice. He slowly turned to face her, fearful of what she might say, or the glare she may be sending his way. Instead, the Alexandra he found looking at him was the one he had fallen in love with. She wasn't angry, she wasn't here to fight another battle. She looked vulnerable, desperate for answers, her pained heart seeking for something, anything worth alleviating it's misery.

"Very well. What's on your mind?" Vander asked, though he already knew.

"Are you really going to act like you don't already know?"

"...no, I'm aware. I just wasn't ready to talk about it."

Alexandra sighed. She began to sit herself down, at the edge of the water, patting the ground next to her, telling Vander to sit.

"You don't give me orders." He responded, jokingly. She reached up for his arm and yanked him down to her side, forcefully. "Okay, okay. Sorry." He grumbled, in return, settling himself down at her left. "I never wanted any of this to happen...you know that, don't you?"

"No." Alexandra turned her head to face him better. She was so close to him, her eyes were as brilliant as he remembered, catching the moonlight the way the water had. "At least, I want to believe that you didn't. Van...I would have understood if you told me the truth, that my father had gotten involved...I wish you would have fought for us...but I would have understood."

"It would have sounded like an excuse, like I was trying to run away."

"That's exactly what you did. No explanation, no goodbye, just...silence. And then, you got closer to your brother..."

"I was pulled in by responsibility after our father died...and then, the demon..."

"Yeah. Imagine how difficult it was for me to watch that happen, to watch you change. I didn't want to think you were a horrible person, but believe me, I saw that change...in a way, it only made me feel worse. Like I hadn't seen you for who you really were, or that maybe you were always that way from the start and I had been blinded by my feelings for you."

Vander remained quiet for a moment, trying to determine how to respond to that. "I'm...not a good person. I've done a lot of horrible things...I don't want to be that person anymore."

"I believe you. And in some way, your intent to protect Kelaria is proof of that, but it isn't altruistic, is it?"

"What do you mean?"

"You are using her, are you not? Or is there something here that I'm missing?"

"We have a common goal. Nothing more, nothing less."

"And yet, you let her heal you. You comfort her when she is sad, you worry for her when she's hurt. And through it all, you somehow miss the way that she looks at you and, even worse, the way that you look at her."

"Alex, what are you saying?" Vander asked, dreading the realization that Alexandra was coming to.

Tears began to well in the corner of her eyes as she looked at him. She reached out for his hands, taking them into her own, pulling them up towards her chest. "It doesn't matter." She told him, shortly, shaking her head, but Vander could see the pain on her face. He pulled one of his hands away, lifting it up towards her cheek, his thumb moving across her skin to swipe aside the tear. It continued to flood back to her, her cheeks reddening from the gesture.

"You're crying. That means it does matter."

She blinked, a couple of times, leaning in a little closer. "I need to know."

"...know what?"

"I need to know that you've moved on. That you no longer need me the way that I need you."

"Alex, I-" Vander's attempt at protesting was silenced when she leaned forward, sealing her lips to his in a daring, yet gentle kiss. Vander froze in place for what felt like minutes at a time, unsure whether to reciprocate, pull away, or push her into the river. When it dawned on her that he wasn't returning the kiss at all, she retreated herself, separating their lips entirely.

"You gave me the answer I was looking for." She told him, forcing a smile, though underneath, she was broken by the confirmation. "Thank you, Van. It was nice seeing you again..." She began to stand up. Vander reached for her hand to try and keep her from leaving, but she tugged it free. "No. It's all right. I'm not the one you should be spending tonight with, and you know that already. Where we're going will be dangerous, I suggest you use the little time you have now to get yourself sorted."
 
Having missed the entirety of their conversation, all Kelaria saw as she was turning away was Alexandra leaning in and kissing Vander. Kelaria paused just long enough to see that Vander did nothing to stop her. Kelaria felt a stab of pain in her chest. That was all the confirmation she needed. It should have been a comfort to know that she had been right about Vander's feelings but it was impossible to feel any sort of comfort in what she had witnessed. Kelaria's appetite vanished in that instant and she dropped the carrots as she made her exit as quickly and quietly as she could.

With stinging eyes, Kelaria made her way back to the camp. She was determined to make it back before the others did. She would need the extra time to compose herself. "You're being irrational Kelaria " she muttered to herself. "He was never yours." A big part of her resented Alexandra. Not because Vander had chosen her but because she had made Kelaria face these feelings she had for Vander. Right now she was wishing she were still in the dark about it all. Kelaria should have never let it get this far. Really she was embarrassed that her feelings had proven to be one sided. Still, she couldn't rid herself of that stabbing feeling in her chest.

Kelaria wasn't being nearly as careful getting back, too distracted by everything going on in her head, as she had been leaving the camp. As she approached the camp she wiped away the tears that had managed to escape. She had no right to be crying over something she had concocted in her own head. In an attempt to compose herself, Kelaria took in several deep breaths. She could live with this. Nothing would change. She had relied too heavily on him and these feelings that were previously unknown to her. She would lay down some boundaries with Vander to stop herself from becoming confused about their relationship again. She would be fine.
 
As Alexandra began to leave, Vander was left behind to reflect on what had happened and what he felt...or rather, what he didn't feel. It went without needing to be said that he still cared greatly for Alexandra, but he had come to peace with the decision he was forced to make over a year ago. He knew they couldn't be together, he rationalized it, and though it hurt, he had moved on. He still thought fondly of that time, everything up to the point where he broke her heart, and was the first to admit that he had handled it poorly, but he had gotten over it. He often found himself wondering how his life would have been different had he not listened, if he had fought for her and if they had stayed together despite the disapproval of their families and what sort of effect that may have had on his brother's bid for conquest, but the past was the past for a reason and dwelling on it only led to upset feelings.

He feared Alexandra had been dwelling for much longer than he had.

She had kissed him to discover if he still felt anything for her. He wished he could have said he did, it would have been simpler. The rekindling of lost love, turning that ember into a wildfire now that they didn't have anybody telling them what they could and couldn't do, but it wasn't so black and white. As easy as it would have been to fall back into old habits, it wouldn't have done them any good. It would have undone all the progress he had made, and it only placed Alexandra farther in the crosshairs of his brother...and, besides, there was the fact that Kelaria was still here.

Why did that even matter?

Vander shook his head as if trying to shake the thought straight out. Alexandra seemed to think there was more between them than there actually was. She seemed convinced and likely attributed it to the reason why he hadn't kissed her back. She was just jealous, he thought. She hadn't had the same time to heal as he did and she was trying to fall back into what was comfortable...right?

He gave it another couple of minutes before heading back towards the campsite, unaware of the fact that Kelaria had been there and she had witnessed a majority of the interaction between he and Alexandra with none of the context required for it to make any sense.
 
Even after the extra time it took for Kelaria to find her way back to the camp she gratefully made it back to the camp before the others. She wiped away the remainder of her tears as she looked around the campsite. There wasn't much to do, she and Vander no longer had any supplies to pack, but she felt like she needed to do something. She needed something to keep her hands busy. She needed to be useful. In truth she was beyond exhausted so returning to her spot against the tree would have been her best choice but instead she just began to pace as she tried to find some way to make herself useful.

Despite dreading their return, Kelaria was still desperate for the others to return. Would they return together? Hand-in-hand? Maybe they would come separately and try to hide their rekindled relationship. Alexandra seemed to know how Kelaria felt, unless she bought her flimsy denial before, maybe she would try to spare Kelaira's feelings by attempting to keep it hidden. Kelaira felt pathetic lingering on it so much but that pain in her chest hadn't faded. "Gods!" She whispered to herself. "There are more important things to worry about. Get it together." Kelaria scolded herself.
 
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The sound of trees and breaking branches would sound out not too long after Kelaria returned. While it should have been Alexandra and Vander, who were not far behind her, it wasn't. The radius that had been sat by Alexandra's spell began to pick up the hint of an intruder and suddenly, Kelaria was alerted by the way the line that had been drawn began to shine bright blue, illuminating the ground beneath her feet from the edge of the circle.

Alexandra was the first to notice this, having taken a few extra moments to herself while walking to try and clear her head. When she saw the light, she began to break into a sprint to try and catch up. Coincidentally, when Vander saw it, he also began to do the same.

From the other side of the forest exited three men, unarmed, but very foreign to the princess and her companions. "Hey, isn't that...?"

"The princess...? Hey, wait, what are you guys doing?"

The man in the middle seemed unaffected, while the two at his side began to display the same dark tendencies as the villagers did once they realized who it was. Two of them were affected by Balthier and Alzahar, the other was not. One of them immediately lunged at Kelaria, while the other approached, but a bit slower. The third individual was frozen in place, confused why his traveling companions were suddenly attempting to attack royalty.
 
Kelaria drew in a breath and wiped her eyes. She kept her face pointed away from where the sound of approaching footfalls came from, assuming it to be Alexandra and Vander. She did not want them to see any evidence of tears on her face. There was too much noise for just one person. So they've decided to come together rather than hide anything. It would be painful to face them both but it would be better, Kelaria wouldn't have to pretend to be ignorant of their rekindled affections. It wasn't until the line began to glow that she even considered that it might not be them. Quickly she whirled around to face the uninvited visitors. She did not hide the surprise on her face.

"I mean you no harm!" Kelaria spoke quickly but one of the men was already lunging at her. She didn't even notice the approach of the second as she darted out of the way of the first. Her arms suddenly lit up in preparation to defend herself. She pushed her palm abruptly at the air in front of her and a blast of light emerged from it, shoving the man back as if with a very strong and sudden gust of wind.

"I do not wish to hurt you. You must fight the dark magic that has it'd hold on you. Leave now and pretend you never saw me." Her eyes glanced to the man who seemed unaffected. "I mean you no harm." She repeated but this time with a sense of desperation in it. The last thing she wanted was to hurt innocent men who had been unwillingly corrupted.
 
The burst of wind Kelaria had conjured wasn't strong enough to kill, though that was never it's intention. It forced the man backwards, repelling him away from her to make some separation between the attacker she didn't want to harm, and herself. Her assailant, however, was a regular human being and not one particularly familiar with fighting or combat. As such, the blast of wind didn't knock him back onto steady feet. Instead, he lost his balance on the way back down, his eyes clouded with dark influence to the point where rational thought and instincts were dulled. He toppled over, falling backwards and, as he did, the back of his skull connected with a jagged rock, caving it in and killing the man on impact.

It took a moment for it to settle in. The third man, the one who wasn't under any control, looked at his fallen ally and then back to Kelaria, absolute fear in his eyes. "Yo-you killed him!" He called out, panicked, realizing that she had said she meant no harm and yet, she had just taken a life right before his eyes. He began to scramble backwards, towards the trees, while the other man tried to attack her again, seeing her in a vulnerable state. He never quite made it, however. He never had the chance.

"Van! Stop!" Alexandra's voice called out as dark chains began to bind themselves around the male's ankles, anchoring him to the ground. Vander had pushed past Alexandra, acting immediately without thinking, to protect the stunned princess, his dark magic initiating a spell to disable the stranger.
 
"No!" Kelaria gasped as she watched the man's head crack against the rock. "No! I didn't- I didn't mean to hurt him. I was trying to spare him." Her eyes welled with tears quickly and the magic vanished from her hands. She watched the fear in the unaffected man's eyes and felt as if her heart were shattering. "I didn't- I didn't mean to." her voice broke slightly. She made no moves to try to stop the man from running. Her stomach turned as her eyes fell upon the man she had just murdered. Her legs felt weak. She stared at the man, not even noticing the second attacker until it was nearly too late. Her eyes widened but she did not move, afraid of hurting him. It turned out she didn't need to move.

Her eyes widened further as dark chains appeared around his ankles. Her eyes darted around until she saw Vander pushing past Alexandra and hurrying towards her. "Don't hurt him! Please Vander." She had done enough, she didn't want to see this man suffer as well.
 
The chains around his ankles tightened the closer that Vander got, ignoring Alexandra's pleas. She heard Kelaria yelling at Vander, but she remained frozen in place, likely from her fear and guilt. Alexandra knew that she wasn't the one who could reach him. Vander had managed to help him keep his dark magic in tact when he teleported, but it wasn't because of her. She wanted so badly to believe that part of Vander still loved her the way that she loved him, but in truth, Alexandra knew the only reason it happened was because it was to save Kelaria. Alexandra wasn't the one he wanted to dedicate his life to anymore, and his willingness to immediately accept his dark magic and tendencies to protect her was evidence of that.

She didn't want to accept it. It hurt her to come to this realization, even moreso to see it with her own eyes after knowing Vander had basically rejected her just moments before. But if she didn't encourage Kelaria, they both risked losing him forever, and she didn't wish to see him become like his brother, whether he still belonged to her or not.

"You have to stop him." She called out to Kelaria, already expecting her argument. "I can't do it. He's only going to listen to you..." She argued while Vander, his eyes glazed with dark energy, stood directly in front of the man. "Go!"

Vander outstretched his hand, teleporting Alexandra's sword back from the village and into his palm, curling around it's hilt with intention of ending the threat. The chained man, who was also under dark influence, thrashed against his ever tightening bond, the sound of bones crunching as he mindlessly fought against the hold to try and reach Kelaria doing nothing to stop either him, or Vander, from proceeding.
 
Kelaria stood and watched helplessly as Vander approached the man. Why wasn't Alexandra doing anything to stop him? Kelaria heard her yell at him but she hadn't tried to grab him or talk sense into him. If he would listen to anyone surely it would be Alexandra. Kelaria's eyes were nearly blurry with tears but that didn't stop her from looking in Alexandra's direction as she called to her. "Me? No- no. It's you he-" She stopped at the warrior continued on despite her protests. Perhaps she simply meant that it was Kelaria's magic that could stop him. Kelaria wasn't so sure that was true either. She had seen Alexandra's display before. Surely the woman was just as capable as Kelaria was?

"Go!"

Alexandra's shout pulled her from her thoughts. She looked to Vander as he called her sword to him. She could see the darkness in his eyes and it crushed her. Now that she knew Vander, the man behind that dark magic, it pained her to see it in his eyes once again. It pained her to see the hate and malice there. He might not be hers but it wouldn't stop her from trying to save him from himself. Kelaria quickly put herself between the man and Vander. Her hands went to his chest and pushed him back. "Vander you have to stop! He's innocent, he's only under your brother's influence." Tears streaked down her cheeks now as she pushed back against him. The sound of the man's bones crunching made her flinch. "Please Vander. You have to stop. You aren't this person. You can't be."

Kelaria struggled to muster her magic, calling it to her with desperation but the crimes she just committed held her back. What if she hurt somone else? "Please Vander. Stop this." she pushed against his chest some more but she didn't have the strength against his resolve. Kelaria stopped pushing his chest and instead grabbed his face in both her hands. She saw the shadows there, brought on only by his need to protect her. His sense of duty. This wasn't the man she knew. Her hands finally lit up with magic, brought on only by her desperation to save Vander from his own magic. "Please Vander. You can't let it control you. I need you." once again, her voice sounded like that lost lonely girl. It revealed the vulnerability she only let show for him. It wasn't her right to show it to him, not when he belonged to someone else, but nevertheless she showed it to him anyway.

"You can't let it win." Kelaria squeezed her eyes shut and let the warmth of her light seep into his skin as if she were healing him even though he was physically unharmed. Her magic sought to contain the darkness that was overpowering his mind.
 
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Vander's arm lifted, primed and ready to bring the sharpest edge of Alexandra's blade directly down upon his debilitated target, but he flinched when Kelaria threw herself in between the two. His arm froze in place, twitching, like it wanted to cleave but refused to follow through on the intention. His eyes softened, if only for a moment, before they returned to a piercing red, the same color that inhabited the eyes of his brother when he became fully engulfed in the influence of Alzahar. Was he lost? Or simply struggling against the darkness inside of him to come back to the surface? Vander said nothing, but he didn't need to; his struggle was written all over his face and over the back-and-forth ministrations of his body.

She pleaded, but it wasn't even clear at first whether he could hear any of the words she was speaking. He struggled against her hold, pushing forward with his strength. He was stronger, physically, than she was, he could over power her if he really wanted to, but there still appeared to be some hesitance, like his better judgement was trying to slow him down long enough for her to break through. Alexandra watched on, holding her breath. In that moment, she wasn't concerned with the fact that it was another girl trying to bring him back to his humanity; she just wanted it to happen, she didn't want to see him lose himself to this the way that Balthier did, and she lamented the fact that she may need to be the one to take him down if things were to go that far, least he and his brother become truly unstoppable.

Just when it seemed she couldn't breach through, she did.

"I need you."

"K-Kel-...?" His voice whispered, weathered by inner turmoil and struggle, the soft sound giving way to a reflexive gasp as her light began to flood into him. He felt no injuries, nor no tiredness in his bones and his muscles which once ached for rest, but yet, it felt like she was curing him of any ailment not just to his body but to his very soul. Light and dark clashed, turning him into a battleground for the opposing forces, her overwhelming magic trying in desperation to hold back that of her counter part, against the darkness of a demon. The sword dropped from Vander's hand, clattering to the ground as his body reacted to the war being waged around him. Kelaria's light splintered off of his body, reflected by the darkness, but providing a remarkably persistent assault. It kept pushing at him, poking holes in the dark magic's defense until it gave way and shattered completely.

A blinding flash followed suit. Alexandra rose her hand to shield her eyes. When the glow had ceased and night had fallen back around them, she could see nothing. She called her sword to her hand, holding it out in front of her, defensively, taking careful steps forward towards where the pair had been. She stopped as she saw a faint glow pulse then disappear. It happened a second time, then a third, like a beacon, like something was trying to start. When it finally ignited in full, Kelaria and Vander were glowing as though a thousand stars rested beneath their skin, pulsing and shimmering beautifully. He was in her arms, unable to hold himself aloft, letting her light alleviate him of his pain and of his suffering. When the light fully subsided, he looked up at her, his eyes opening, having retained their original color, peering at her as though she was now far more than just a pawn in his plan to stop his brother.

Behind them, the man who had been chained was freed, though his broken bones prevented him from standing. Kelaria's light had cleansed him too, leaving him looking around in confusion before the pain began to settle in. Alexandra was at his side, leaving Vander to Kelaria.

"What happened...?" He asked, confused and out of sorts, but feeling her warmth all around him.
 
It was the piercing red glare in his eyes that kept Kelaria fighting. She hadn't seen it in his brother's eyes but she had certainly seen an echo of it in Finlay's. She could remember the horror of seeing that man ascend. She couldn't let that happen to the Vander she knew. She couldn't let that happen to her Vander even if he never actually would be hers. She couldn't let that happen to her version of him. She fought that look in his eyes and she fought even harder when she saw the conflict in them. The conflict told her she had a chance. He wasn't lost yet and she'd fight until ever bit of magic in her was exhausted before she'd let either of them lose this fight.

Kelaria gasped a bit when she heard him trying to say her name. It was working! More tears sprang to her eyes and though she felt a bit of relief from hearing his voice instead of the demon's voice, she knew the fight wasn't over. Her eyes, brighter than he had ever seen them, held his as she let her magic flood him. She could feel his magic fighting against hers. The darkness was painful as it tried to eat away and snuff out her light but Kelaria was determined not to let it win. With one final push Kelaria felt an almost popping sensation as her light shattered through all his defenses.

When his eyes met hers, instead of that of the demon, Kelaria let out a breath and gave a small smile. It worked. He was still here with them. It was him here in her arms. The brilliant shimmering light that had illuminated them slowly dimmed so that the only light between them were her own eyes which still shone brightly. Getting carried away by the moment, Kelaria's hand stroked his cheek as if she were trying to prove to herself that he was alright. "You're here. You came back to me." she smiled again softly. "You're alright." Slowly her senses returned to her and her hands dropped from his face. He didn't belong to her. Kelaria meant to turn to find Alexandra and pass Vander off to her but for the moment she couldn't take her eyes off of his.

Kelaria shook her head. "You tried to save me...again. You shouldn't have used your magic like that." she frowned but she didn't have the energy to really scold him right now. Having used all her energy in order to fight off his shadows and heal him, Kelaria was now the one left completely drained. As the glow slowly faded from her eyes, so did the strength in her body. "While you were both away some of my people found me here." she flinched as she was reminded of what she did. She didn't continue explaining to him. "I'm sorry..." She moved to gently push off of him to put distance between them. Just as she did the remainder of the glow faded from her eyes and she collapsed.
 
"I...tried?" He asked, confused and concerned. "Did I fail...?"

Vander seemed to have little recollection of what had happened while he was under the influence of his dark magic. It was like a part of him was repressing it, or he was simply so far near the edge of no return that he had no cognitive recollection of the events that pushed him to the brink. The fact that she was alive and well, and strong enough to have pulled him back, meant that he hadn't failed, or at the very least that she had managed to save herself, but it brought him concern regardless.

The intimate position between the two of them was lost on Vander, who was still coming back to grips with what he was feeling and where he was, but not to Alexandra. She had been mostly silent since witnessing the light show the two had shared, speaking only to calm the screaming of the injured man, who passed out from the pain long before she had healed his wounds. Her sword had fallen to her side, it's tip resting against the dirt from where she looked on, she felt no will to wield it or lift it. She wasn't angry about what she had witnessed, part of her was relieved, but her heart ached all the same. It was a self-inflicted punishment watching them be this way knowing what she knew. Alexandra had a better grasp on their feelings than they did, and it was stinging her to even acknowledge it. She forced herself to look away, averting her eyes to the tree line of the forest. She knew there was at least one other person there, fleeing, but giving chance would have been futile and she wasn't really thinking of doing it, she just needed something to distract her from what was happening between the man she loved, and the woman she was sent to contain.

Vander stood up on his own after his balance and equilibrium returned. He kept his eyes on her as he readjusted, slowly, listening to her talk again but noting the way her voice seemed to weaken with every successive word that she spoke. Before long, it was his turn to be her support, pulling her into his arms as she collapsed, her head against his chest. He braced so that they wouldn't fall, holding her up, though she was practically limp in his arms, which had wrapped protectively around her not just to give her support but also to give her comfort. He hadn't turned his head to realize Alexandra was still there, but even had he known, it likely wouldn't have altered his course of action.

"I've got you this time." He told her, his voice a whisper. Though he didn't laugh, the intonation of his voice implied he was smirking as he made that comment. "You burnt yourself out, didn't you?" He asked, shaking his head, but keeping her in his arms. "You can't shine forever, you need to take a break." His tone was softer, like he was more caring of her than he had been before. That wasn't to say that he didn't care, but he never really openly showed it this much. Something had clearly changed, though he admitted nothing out loud. Vander took a look around, assessing the situation, but by the time he had surveyed the camp, Alexandra was nowhere to be seen. "Come on, easy..." He whispered, easing them both down onto Alexandra's blanket, some place more comfortable so they could both catch their breath and properly rest, all the while he never thought of letting go.
 
Kelaria's eyes were unfocused and the world spun around her. She felt strong arms around her as Vander caught her and held her protectively. The gesture filled her with warmth and a sense of security she knew she didn't deserve but she didn't have the energy to push him away. She tried to support herself but found the effort wasted as her body just couldn't hold itself up at the moment. The irony of the situation wasn't lost on her, considering just yesterday it had been her holding him upright after his own collapse. Even above the ringing in her ears she heard his voice remind her of just that.

"I've got you this time."

Hearing his voice low in her ear, the tone that promised to take care of her even without those specific words, only made that sense of warmth and security spread through her. There was something about that tone in his voice that hadn't been there before. Her vision began to steady as he guided them both to Alexandra's bedroll. Kelaria wanted to protest but decided it wouldn't be worth it. Not once did his arms leave her as he settled them down. Kelaria kept her face tucked against his chest in order to avoid looking at him. She was silent for a long while, letting the ringing in her ears die out. When she finally did speak her voice was cold and almost monotoned. "You should probably find Alexandra. She'll be worried about you." her voice did break a bit at the end but it was so subtle it was almost unnoticeable.
 
By the time they had both reached the ground, blanketed by Alexandra's make-shift bed roll, he was kneeling with his arms around her while she remained tucked against his chest for safe-keeping and protection. It wasn't the most comfortable position, but he didn't mind; it wasn't about his comfort, it was about making sure she was alright and that she had what she needed to recover from what she had given to save him. The quiet was comfortable between them, not awkward, as his breathing slowed so as not to disturb her too much with the natural rise and fall of his chest with every breath he released.

"You should probably find Alexandra. She'll be worried about you."

"Hm?" He asked, tilting his head downwards to get a better look at her. They were so close...so intimate. This felt more like a hug, or an embrace between two lovers, than it did an attempt for him to keep her steady. The redirection of his gaze made him aware, more than ever, of how close they had gotten, and how near her face was to his. Her eyes were beautifully bright, despite all she had spent, reflecting moonlight and undeterred by the night time darkness of the forest around them. "She's capable of finding her way back. I'm right where I need to be at the moment."

His response was simple, yet kind. It was reassurance, not just to her, but to himself, that he was making the right choice. It was as though he was convincing his own mind too, not just hers, that this was, indeed, the place he needed to be. Going back to Alexandra had crossed his mind before, but it would have been messy, and far too easy. He didn't want easy. He was tired of easy. He had given in to his brother, to the dark magic they wielded. He had given into his father's orders to cast Alexandra aside, the king's request for him to stay away from fights and battles because he was worried of what his son might become. He had listened to Regis and his over worrying and protective tendencies, and to everybody who told him that one day, he would be the ruler of his country.

When would he stop giving in and start living for himself?

"Are you feeling better? You've gotten me worried, Kelaria..."
 
His breathing did wonders to comfort her but somehow that comfort just made her feel worse. She didn't deserve it. She didn't have the energy to protest and she wasn't ready to. For just a few moments more she selfishly wanted to pretend he's didn't belong to someone else. She wanted to pretend for a few moments that she wasn't completely failing her people. She wanted to pretend she hadn't just murdered a man. She kept her face hidden, even as she spoke, until she felt him look down at her. She lifted her head just enough to meet his eyes. Her eyes were distant and hazy. It was almost as though he could see the inner turmoil inside her mind through them.

"She's capable of finding her way back. I'm right where I need to be at the moment."

He was right where he needed to be at the moment. His words made her heart ache in too very different ways. On one hand his words only intensified that warmth inside her and healed her heart in a very small way. On the other hand it reminded her that this was only temporary. "I'm not so sure she'd like for you to be holding me like this." her voice was so quiet it was a whisper. She had to force herself to say it because the selfish part of her wanted to keep on pretending for a while longer. Her eyes met his and she became just as aware of their proximity. Damn Alexandra for making her suddenly so aware of him! It would have been so easy to close that remaining distance between them.

Kelaria quickly looked away as he worried over her. "I'm just tired. It's like you said...I burnt myself out." her voice cracked a bit more.

After another long moment of silence she finally spoke up. "I don't deserve your worry Vander."
 
"I'm not so sure she'd like for you to be holding me like this."

Vander wondered what was going on in Kelaria's head as she made that comment. Had Alexandra said something to her while he was away? Was that what provoked her Alex's sudden arrival and confession to him near the water? Maybe it was all in his mind. Kelaria was exhausted, and she had been extremely worried, maybe she was just talking nonsense as she tried to recover. Regardless, there was something about the way she followed up by telling him that she didn't deserve his worry that set him off.

"Don't you dare..." He responded, emphasizing "dare" as his voice slightly rose, letting a short silence follow after he spoke it. "...act like you're undeserving of worry or care from myself or from anybody else. You are a princess, are you not? Does that not make you worthy of all this and more?" He questioned, curiously. "Besides, I-." Vander stopped himself, taking conversation in a different direction instead of where he had originally wanted to take it. "I don't know what's going on inside that head of yours, but I'm not a fan of it. What did she say to you?" He asked, "she", of course, implying Alexandra.

Throughout this exchange, his grip on her had absentmindedly grown tighter. He didn't do it on purpose, nor was he enforcing enough strength to cause her pain, but the difference was there, and should have been quite noticeable to the woman he was cradling so tightly against himself.

"Talk to me. We have risked our lives for each other countless times...honesty should not be this difficult between us."
 
Kelaria flinched as he raised his voice, even slightly, though it didn't seem she was afraid, just surprised. She flinched again when he used her title. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment as she tried to force the image of the man she had just killed from her mind. Images of the mob that had tried to come after her followed it and once she had chased those images away she was haunted by the screams of the fleeing refugees she had condemned to death the day she met Vander. "Don't call me that. I haven't earned that title. I've done nothing but prove how undeserving I am of it." Her voice was gentle and almost pleading. Vander had seen her at some of her most vulnerable moments but none quiet like this.

His question about Alexandra took her off guard for a moment. Kelaria opened her eyes and looked at him. Did she not tell him about their conversation? Part of her felt a bit of gratitude that Alexandra had left Kelaria's possible feelings for Vander out of their little reunion. Kelaria was silent for a long moment, not wanting to answer his question but he was right. It shouldn't be difficult to be honest, not with him, but then again nothing they've spoken about before this had been quite this hard to say.

Kelaria felt his grip tighten on her and she didn't know how to interperate it, she just knew she didn't want him to let go.

"She didn't say much. She simply pointed out things she suspected...that I hadn't noticed before. She thought we cared for each other more than either of us knew or wanted to admit." her voice was still weak but it shook a bit more now as she spoke. "Then she went to find you..." She almost couldn't continue. They had been through so much together already, why was admitting her feelings this hard to do? "I realized there might be some truth to her words...at least for me. I told her though that you didn't feel that way of course. She wanted to find out for herself."

Another moment of silence stretched between them. "I wasn't following her. I promise. I was just looking for food... but I saw you both. I turned to leave as soon as I realized it was you. I didn't want to interrupt or pry where I wasn't wanted. As I was leaving I saw you kiss... I know you still love her." her voice broke again. "Which is exactly why she wouldn't be so happy that you're here holding me like this instead of off finding her." Kelaria went directly against her words to encourage him away by instead tucking her head against his chest again in order to hide her face.
 
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Kelaria's explanation mirrored what Alexandra had been implying to him as well. She certainly wasn't shy about speaking her opinion, especially when what she spoke of was causing her so much grief and heartache. He wondered, then, if after what had happened, she had decided now was the time to stay away, was it because she had accepted he was no longer hers or because she was afraid of what it was she might see if she stayed? His expression changed from curiosity to confusion as she continued, mentioning that she had accidentally stumbled upon them at the lake.

"Wait, what?" He asked her, questioning with a shake of his head. "You're mistaken."

Vander squeezed her a little tighter, his face still angled to look into her eyes as he spoke, hoping to clear up the confusion. "Alex kissed me, not the other way around. She wanted to find out if I still had feelings for her." He reasoned, leaving time in between for her to question further, or at least, to adjust what she was thinking based on this new information. "If you had stayed a few moments longer, you would have seen her storm off into the forest after realizing that I couldn't be what she wanted me to be anymore."

She hid her face against his chest again and he sighed, his hand lifting towards her cheek, hoping to tilt her face away from it's cover so that he could continue to look at her, directly. "I will always care about her, Kelaria, but she knows now that I cannot give her what she's looking for and she has to accept it. Whether she's unhappy or not about who I decide to hold is none of my concern, nor should it be any of yours." He knew Alexandra was honorable. Vander knew that even if she was hurt, she would uphold her word about getting them to safety, so he wasn't even concerned that the change of heart might jeopardize their way to the Araya Lucaris. It was still his end goal, after all, but the path to get there had taken quite an unexpected turn.

"I guess that begs a question to be asked, however." He paused; now he was the one who needed a second to compose himself and decide whether he should say what he wanted to say or if that question should be better kept unspoken. "Was Alexandra's suspicion correct? We are just allies, right? We have a common goal to achieve that's beyond us and our titles..."
 
Kelaria tried to pretend that she didn't love the way he held her tighter but she was having a harder time ignoring her feelings with him so close. She lifted her gaze back to his as he lifted her chin. Kelaria couldn't deny the relief that flooded her as he explained he hadn't returned Alexandra's kiss. His claim was supported by the way Alexandra had acted when they returned. "That actually explains a lot. When you were...struggling...I didn't understand why she wasn't doing more to stop you but she told me that I was the only one who would get through to you. I didn't believe that was true but I think she believes your lack of feelings for her are my fault."

Next Kelaria frowned. "I know you don't really remember much...but why did you do it Vander? You've been so careful not to use your magic. You even hesitated to use it back in the village even when you were afraid of Alexandra. But tonight it was as though you used it on instinct."

Vander's question only left Kelaria wanting to hide her face again. Her expression twisted into a pained one for a brief moment before she hid it with a simple frown. She didn't look away even though she desperately wished to. Instead her eyes met his, holding his gaze as bravely as she could manage even though her answering voice was so small. "It might be that way for you..." she paused for a very long moment as she mustered the courage to continue. "...but it's more than that for me. I know it shouldn't be. I didn't even know I had begun to see you that way until Alexandra made me stop to think about it. She was right, at least for me she was." Kelaira's voice shook and she swallowed hard, bracing herself for his rejection. Unlike Alexandra, Kelaria held no hope that he would return her feelings. In fact she was as confident as she could be that he didn't reciprocate them. That didn't mean this wasn't a terrifying conversation for her to have.
 
"Why did you do it?"

Why had he done what he did? She was right about how careful he had been, and how he resisted tapping into that strength unless it was absolutely necessary, but perhaps, that was the answer she was seeking. He had deemed it necessary in order to save her; his protective instinct had kicked in and he had discerned he wouldn't have been able to close the gap fast enough to aid her without it. Alexandra was much quicker than he was, and even she couldn't have crossed that distance in time, there was simply no other way. It was necessary for him to keep her safe.

"There was no other option. I'd rather lose myself than see your kingdom lose you."

It was a poignant declaration that spoke fondly of her beyond his explanation of how they were "just allies" with a common goal.

He gave her the time she needed to work her way through what she was trying to say, remaining patient during the pauses, and attentive even when her voice wavered and grew quiet out of embarrassment and expectation of rejection. Alexandra had implied it to him, planting the seed, but hearing Kelaria speak it for herself, out loud, was something different entirely.

"...are you certain that is what you feel?"

He didn't truly understand how she could...it had been such a short while, and all she had known of him prior to their meeting was how horrible he was, and how many of her people he had played a part in killing. The guilt was strong enough that even when he was absolved of blame due to Alzahar's influence, he couldn't bridge the mental gap between what he had done and what he had been forced to do because it didn't matter. They still died by his hands, by his sword and magic. It was his body wielding the darkness, regardless of whom cast the first spell...but it was that same body then that protected her, fervently. The same Vander that wanted to hold her and keep her safe, to wrap her wounds and feel the warmth of her light reach not only himself but the far reaches of a kingdom that was overabundantly in need of some sun.

He wasn't sure how he had managed to convince two very different, very special women that he was deserving of their attention and affection. He didn't believe he was worth of any of it, yet here he was, in a situation most would find favorable and feeling as though no matter what choice he made, he would be letting somebody down. Vander's relationship with his guilt was beyond toxic to his well-being, and it was the only thing giving him pause with how he wanted to follow up on what Kelaria had said to him.

"I need to know if you are certain before I make a tremendous mistake..."
 
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