Post by jjean on Jun 12, 2008 0:01:02 GMT -5
Chap. 16
Meg leaned against one of the garden's many pillars, staring up at the clear night sky.
"It's so beautiful." She said, wistfully, as she admired the full moon and the ever-twinkling stars. Although she wasn't one to daydream, the sight never failed to take her breath away. She lowered her gaze to the palace, where dinner had probably already been served.
She almost couldn't believe that she had wasted a full two years trapped in such a place. Oh, well. If everything goes right, we'll never set foot in this city-state again.
"Meg?" She saw the hero's silhouette appear from behind nearby bushes, where he had changed.
"Finally! Dinner has started already." She pulled her dress to ankle-length and started to walk in the direction of the manor.
"Uh, Meg?" Herc said, trying to get her attention.
She spun around, "What?"
"It doesn't fit." He said, stepping into the moonlight so she could see better.
"What doesn't f...?," She glanced at his attire and did a double-take. Even though she had given him the largest size, his uniform looked very snug from the waist-up. It was a good thing that the palace guards wore cloth instead of metal armor or else he wouldn't have been able to fit it at all. In fact, there was a tiny slit in the over-stretched cloth near his collarbone. Her eyes traveled, subconsciously, down his sleeveless muscular arms, which she was surprised she hadn't noticed much before.
She suddenly realized that he was still awaiting her response, "Just...put your helmet on." She willed herself to look away from him, waving a hand, "No one will notice."
"Are you sure?" He asked, putting his helmet on, "I don't want you to get caught because of me."
"Yes, I'm sure." She looked back at him, making sure to look at his eyes and nowhere else, "Let's go."
She took another step toward the palace, this time forgetting to lift her skirts, and stumbled. She instinctively flung her arms out for balance, feeling strong hands wrap around her waist before she touched the ground. She raised her head to face the young hero as she let him help her stand.
"Are you okay?" He said, unable to keep a smile from his lips.
Meg found herself speechless, taking in his handsome features up close. Snap out of it!, she yelled to herself. "Uh, yeah." She gently pushed him away and leaned over to brush imaginary dust off of her gown, "Thanks."
"No problem." Herc tilted his head to the side, listening, "Did you hear something?"
She slowly straightened herself and listened with him, only to hear the sounds of crickets. Which was what she expected to hear. "I don't hear..."
He gestured for her to be quiet, quickly taking her hand and pulling her behind the tall line of shrubs from where he had just emerged. Meg was about to protest when she heard voices coming from the garden entrance. She kneeled next to Herc and they both waited silently for the intruders to show themselves.
Meg leaned against one of the garden's many pillars, staring up at the clear night sky.
"It's so beautiful." She said, wistfully, as she admired the full moon and the ever-twinkling stars. Although she wasn't one to daydream, the sight never failed to take her breath away. She lowered her gaze to the palace, where dinner had probably already been served.
She almost couldn't believe that she had wasted a full two years trapped in such a place. Oh, well. If everything goes right, we'll never set foot in this city-state again.
"Meg?" She saw the hero's silhouette appear from behind nearby bushes, where he had changed.
"Finally! Dinner has started already." She pulled her dress to ankle-length and started to walk in the direction of the manor.
"Uh, Meg?" Herc said, trying to get her attention.
She spun around, "What?"
"It doesn't fit." He said, stepping into the moonlight so she could see better.
"What doesn't f...?," She glanced at his attire and did a double-take. Even though she had given him the largest size, his uniform looked very snug from the waist-up. It was a good thing that the palace guards wore cloth instead of metal armor or else he wouldn't have been able to fit it at all. In fact, there was a tiny slit in the over-stretched cloth near his collarbone. Her eyes traveled, subconsciously, down his sleeveless muscular arms, which she was surprised she hadn't noticed much before.
She suddenly realized that he was still awaiting her response, "Just...put your helmet on." She willed herself to look away from him, waving a hand, "No one will notice."
"Are you sure?" He asked, putting his helmet on, "I don't want you to get caught because of me."
"Yes, I'm sure." She looked back at him, making sure to look at his eyes and nowhere else, "Let's go."
She took another step toward the palace, this time forgetting to lift her skirts, and stumbled. She instinctively flung her arms out for balance, feeling strong hands wrap around her waist before she touched the ground. She raised her head to face the young hero as she let him help her stand.
"Are you okay?" He said, unable to keep a smile from his lips.
Meg found herself speechless, taking in his handsome features up close. Snap out of it!, she yelled to herself. "Uh, yeah." She gently pushed him away and leaned over to brush imaginary dust off of her gown, "Thanks."
"No problem." Herc tilted his head to the side, listening, "Did you hear something?"
She slowly straightened herself and listened with him, only to hear the sounds of crickets. Which was what she expected to hear. "I don't hear..."
He gestured for her to be quiet, quickly taking her hand and pulling her behind the tall line of shrubs from where he had just emerged. Meg was about to protest when she heard voices coming from the garden entrance. She kneeled next to Herc and they both waited silently for the intruders to show themselves.